


The Way to a Man's Heart (is through his stomach)

by mddnapstablook



Series: saiouma Modern AU [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Flirting, Fluff, Human Kiibo, M/M, absolute butchery of the legal system and how Real Life works for the sake of plot convenience, barely researched information about detectives and clowns, gratuitous descriptions of food and cooking, too many references to american stuff and anime i've never watched
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-02-10
Packaged: 2019-10-12 08:10:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 28,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17463809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mddnapstablook/pseuds/mddnapstablook
Summary: Shuichi's new neighbor across the hall is really strange, and he can't help but find himself grow more and more curious about him. After he sets his apartment on fire while trying to cook, Shuichi offers him cooking lessons, unaware of how it will bring them together.





	1. Chapter 1

_Thump!_

Shuichi’s eyes open reluctantly, and he curls into a tighter ball in his bed as he registers the noise. He isn’t sure what he heard, but he definitely heard something. Straining his ears, he listens for the sound again. When it doesn’t come, his eyes begin to slide shut, more than ready to accept things as they are and fall back to sleep, especially given how early it is and that he doesn’t have anything to do today. 

_Thump!_

But, of course, there it is again. Shuichi is a pretty sound sleeper, so the noise is pretty loud to not only wake him up, but to carry through his apartment- because he’s certain the noise isn’t registering from _inside_ his home. 

He checks the time, groaning when it’s only nine. He’s gotten plenty of sleep and really has no reason to complain, but it’s his day off, and if he wants to spend as much of it unconscious as possible, that’s really no one else’s business. He doubts he’ll be able to get to sleep now though, with the pull of that mysterious thumping noise. 

Shuichi manages to escape the warm confines of his blanket with a sigh before he shuffles over to his front door to peek through the peephole. Out in the hall, he sees the apartment directly across from him that has been empty for months now has it’s door wide open, and there’s an abundance of boxes sitting just inside the entryway. _So someone is moving in_ , he thinks. It would certainly explain the noise. Unlocking his door and opening it, he steps out into the hallway, curious about his new neighbor. 

Shuichi spots him easily, the source of early morning noise struggling to carry a box that is nearly as big as he is, which isn’t very big at all considering how _small_ the man is. When he makes eye contact with Shuichi, he grins and drops the box onto the ground right in the middle of the hall- _thump!_ \- and waves. 

“Hey!” he says, voice loud and jarring to Shuichi’s still half-asleep mind. “Nice pajamas!” Shuichi glances down at himself. He hadn’t considered the fact that he’d be making first impressions while in a pair of old flannel pajama pants and a band shirt for a group he hadn’t listened to in years. Still, he’s not the same easily flustered kid from his youth, so he tries to ignore the pang of embarrassment that shoots through him. 

“Thanks,” he says, before shoving his hands in his pockets and looking towards the mostly empty apartment. “Are you just moving in?”

The man moves like a cat, movements smooth and practiced as he sits down on the box he’d just dropped and crosses one leg over the other and slightly reclining- face still stretched into a grin. “Wow, very observant of you! You’re like a detective.”

“I am, actually.” Shuichi finds himself admitting, even though he knows the man must be teasing him. “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Shuichi Saihara.” He holds his hand out, interested and somewhat concerned about what this man will say or do in response. 

He blinks, grin lowering into something less intense, more of an amused smirk if anything. “I’m Kokichi Ouma,” he says, ignoring Shuichi’s raised hand. Tilting his head, he asks, “Now that we’re besties, would you help me move this box? It’s my last one, promise!”

Shuichi lowers his hand, but nods. “Sure. No one is helping you move in?”

Kokichi jumps up, dusting imaginary dirt from himself. “My friends helped me move the super heavy stuff yesterday, but today I’m all on my own. Some friends! I should have them all executed.” The way he says it with such casualness catches Shuichi off guard for a moment, before he forces a small chuckle and moves over to carry the box. It actually isn’t as heavy as he was expecting it to be, and for a second Shuichi wonders if Kokichi was even having any trouble in the first place. 

“You’re stronger than you look!” Kokichi announces as he all but _skips_ into his new apartment behind Shuichi. “Why’s a detective need to be all beefy, huh? For roughing up your suspects, right?” he asks, circling around to face Shuichi as he sets the box down. 

“Ah, no. I don’t do that.” he denies. “Um, do you need any more help?”

Kokichi hums as he thinks about it, and now that they’re standing this close Shuichi can see under the fluorescent lighting that his hair isn’t actually black with purple tips, but a dark almost bruised plum color. “No, you’ve served your purpose. But-” and the last word is drawn out in a singing voice, “-we _are_ neighbors now. So I suspect we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”

“I suppose so.” Shuichi hesitates for a moment, unsure of what to say. “It was nice meeting you. I’ll get out of your way so you can unpack.”

Kokichi nods fiercely, making a shooing-away motion with his hands as he giggles. “Yeah, go away Shuichi! I don’t need your help!”

As Shuichi leaves, Kokichi shuts the door behind him, and there’s an audible _click!_ of the lock. _What a strange man,_ Shuichi thinks, as he pads back into his own apartment, intent on making some tea to wake him up a little more before he begins dissecting that interaction. 

-

It’s been a week since Kokichi moved in across the hall from Shuichi, and things have been interesting to say the least. Shuichi can’t count how many times he’s seen people dressed in all white and wearing clown masks going to and from Kokichi’s apartment. The man himself, however, has been pretty quiet. Shuichi has only seen him once or twice since their meeting, but every time they see each other Kokichi flashes him a big grin and saluts him. 

Shuichi isn’t really sure what to make of his neighbor. He’s curious by nature, it’s what makes him so well suited to be a detective, and it’s why he can’t get his mind off Kokichi after their meeting. Shuichi isn’t so delusional to think that it has nothing to do with the way Kokichi looks- he’s always been the type to develop crushes fast, and age hasn’t changed that about himself- but it’s more than that. He finds himself imagining excuses to talk to Kokichi in his spare moments of free time, but he can’t bring himself to go through with it. And at the rate things have been going, he’ll probably just never talk to Kokichi again, which is disappointing. 

The doorbell rings, and Shuichi jumps. He’d been in the middle of reading when he’d totally spaced out thinking about Kokichi. He checks the time as he rises to answer the door, not sure just how long he was lost in his own thoughts. Peering through the peephole, he spots someone he doesn’t recognize on the other side of the door, holding a package. 

Opening the door, Shuichi doesn’t have any time to say anything before the package is shoved in his face, clipboard and pen for signing on top of it. “Package for Kokichi Ouma. Sign, please.” The delivery man says, voice gruff. 

“Sorry, I’m not Kokichi. He lives-” Shuichi starts to explain, but the man interrupts him. 

“Note said to leave it with you.” The man says, jerking a thumb back at the closed apartment door that Shuichi now notices has a note on it. “Sign, please.”

“Right, sorry.” Shuichi shuffles the items in his hands around so the package is under his arm and he can sign. Handing the clipboard and pen back, the delivery man leaves without a word, and Shuichi is left standing alone and confused. Stepping into the hall, he reaches out to pluck the note from Kokichi’s door and read it. It’s written in a glittery purple gel. 

_Hey Mister Delivery Man!_  
_I’m not home, but you can leave my package across the hall with my beloved Shuichi! Just knock on the door, he should be home!_

Shuichi furrows his brow, re-reading the note. The words don’t change, of course, but it only serves to further confuse him. Why would Kokichi leave the package with him? How did he know that Shuichi would be home? And why did he call him his ‘beloved’? 

There was no way of knowing when Kokichi would be home to answer these questions though, so Shuichi sighs and takes the package back to his apartment. He’d just ask when he came by to retrieve the package. 

-

As it turns out, Shuichi didn’t have to wait longer than an hour for his doorbell to ring again. When he checks who it is this time, he’s unsurprised to see Kokichi bouncing on his toes just outside, eyes locked on the peephole like he knows Shuichi is looking out of it. 

When he opens the door, Kokichi bursts in and looks around, all the energy of an excited puppy. “Oh, cool! Shuichi has such interesting stuff.” He bounds over to Shuichi’s coffee table where the package lies, but he ignores it in favor of snatching up the book Shuichi had been reading. Thankfully, he doesn’t pull out Shuichi’s bookmark. Although, it wouldn’t really matter, since it’s a book Shuichi has read probably a hundred times before. 

“I didn’t know you like Danganronpa, too! Who’s your favorite character, huh?” Kokichi asks, plopping down on Shuichi’s couch like he owns the place and flipping through the pages. 

Shuichi is still standing in shock in his doorway, so he shakes his head and shuts the door, crossing the room to stand by the table. He’s a little embarrassed that Kokichi recognizes the series, it’s one of his guilty pleasures that he goes out of his way to hide. Still, Kokichi seems passionate about the books, too. 

“You’re a fan of the series, then?” he asks, voice low. 

Kokichi blows a raspberry into his hand. “Not the books, I’m not a nerd! I played the video games! Now answer my question, Shuichi! I asked you who your favorite character is! Oh, wait. Let me guess: it’s Kyoko, isn’t it?”

Kokichi must know he’s hit the nail on the head when Shuichi averts his eyes. He cackles, “Shuichi is too obvious!”

“Well, who is your favorite character, Kokichi?”

Kokichi grins up at Shuichi as he tosses the book back onto the table. “Teruteru, obviously! I really relate to that guy. Cooking is super fun, you know?”

It’s… certainly not the answer Shuichi was expecting. He tries to remember any of Teruteru’s redeeming factors so he can say something nice in response, but he hadn’t really been a fan of the Ultimate Cook. 

“But that’s a lie! Nobody _actually_ likes him, right? My favorite is really Nagito.”

That’s more of what Shuichi had been anticipating, but he ignores the reveal to get to the bottom of why Kokichi is really in his apartment. “That package came for you today.” he starts, gesturing at the brown box on the table. 

Kokichi glances at the box as if he’d only just noticed it was there. “And it’s unopened! I would have expected a nosy detective like you to see what it was. Or maybe you did and you just closed it back up. I bet you know all sorts of tricks like that.” Still, he plops the box into his lap and begins tearing into it immediately. All Shuichi can do is stand and watch as Kokichi pulls out a smaller, white box with a picture of-

Shuichi can feel heat blossom on his face as he looks away, pretending he didn’t notice what the package is. Kokichi laughs, that strange almost horse-like laugh of his. “This is perfect. Kiibo is gonna be so embarrassed when he opens up this gift in front of everyone on his birthday.” Kokichi holds out the box so Shuichi can get a better look at the, well. There’s no polite way to say, ‘iridescent tentacle shaped sex toy’, is there? “What do you think?”

Shuichi clears his throat. “Kokichi, why did you leave the package with me? And how did you know I’d be home?”

Kokichi puts his hands behind his head and relaxes into the couch. “Well, I don’t know anyone else here. _Someone_ needed to sign for it, and I wasn’t home, so I figured you were a safe bet. And I was right! You didn’t even peek.” 

Shuichi shakes his head. “You could have asked first.”

Kokichi frowns, his bottom lip quivering. Shuichi almost takes a step back when Kokichi bursts into tears, body shaking with each sob. “Shuichi is so mean! I just didn’t want anyone to steal my package, I didn’t realize I was being such a- a nuisance!”

“It’s fine!” Shuichi says automatically. “I was just confused! I don’t mind, really.”

In an instant, the tears dry up and Kokichi looks no worse for wear. Shuichi has a split second to think Kokichi is lucky to not look like a mess after crying, before it hits him that he looks fine because he was completely faking it. “Oh, that’s good!” Kokichi says, voice full of cheer. He scoops up his boxes and rises from the couch to skip past Shuichi to the front door. “Anyway, I need to wrap this up. The present I mean, but this conversation is pretty boring, too. I’ll see you later, Shuichi!” 

And with that, Kokichi is gone, slamming the door behind him. Shuichi runs a hand through his hair, exhaling shakily. He feels like he needs a drink, but considering that it’s only mid-afternoon, he waves off the thought. 

-

“Did you ever find out how he knew you would be home?” Kaito asks, attempting to sneak a few fries from his girlfriend’s plate. Maki swats at his hand once, but then relents and lets him take the rest.

Shuichi shakes his head as he raises his cup to take a long soothing drink of his tea. He has a few theories, of course. The strange people he’d seen going in and out of Kokichi’s would know roughly what times Shuichi would be home, with the frequency that they passed each other in the hall. It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume they’d tell Kokichi if he asked. He could have also just guessed, assuming that his day offs would be the same. Or… perhaps Kokichi was watching Shuichi. That theory was somewhat less pleasant, but Shuichi wouldn’t put it past the man. 

“You should file a complaint.” Maki says. 

Shuichi sighs. He was hoping that talking over the situation with two of his closest friends would help him feel better, or give him a better idea of how to handle his… intriguing neighbor. So far, however, he’d just proceeded to worry them. They were far too protective of him, like he was still the shy, depressed kid they’d met in school. 

“I gotta go with Maki Roll on this one, bro. That guy sounds sketchy. Better safe than sorry, you know what I mean?” 

“I don’t think he’s dangerous or anything.” Shuichi begins. “He’s just… I don’t know. I think I want to get to know him better.” Shuichi gauges their expressions, finds that Kaito looks concerned whereas Maki is her usual brand of irritated. 

“I think you’re making a bad decision, Shuichi. You shouldn’t get mixed up with people like that.” she says, sipping her drink. 

Shuichi focuses his gaze on the restaurant’s tablecloth. “I thought you guys are always telling me to branch out and meet new people.”

“Yeah, normal people! Like, join a dating site or something, not get harassed by some punk.” Kaito says, voice louder than Shuichi is comfortable with. Shuichi’s shoulders slump. He hopes no one is looking at the three of them, but he knows Kaito’s voice demands attention. “Hey, come on, chin up, huh? I know you can take care of yourself. If you think you can handle this guy, who are we to argue?” Kaito says, leaning back in his seat.

Maki seems inclined to disagree, but when she locks eyes with Shuichi, she nods once. “Hurry up and finish eating. I have to get back to work, you know?” she says, reaching for her purse. 

“Right, forgot you only get an hour for lunch. That’s alright, I’m just about done!” Kaito announces as he shoves the last of his burger in his mouth. He smiles at both of them, causing Shuichi to need to stifle a small laugh and Maki to roll her eyes. 

While Kaito rustles through his wallet to pay, Maki fixes Shuichi with one of her signature glares. Shuichi thinks he’s gotten pretty good at reading her, when he guesses that this one says, ‘I’m concerned but I trust you.’

“I hope you know what you’re doing.” Maki says softly, confirming Shuichi’s thoughts. 

Shuichi thinks, _Me too._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuichi and Kokichi have their first cooking lesson.

Kokichi has lived in his new apartment for three weeks before he sets it on fire. 

It's an accident. Duh! And it's not his whole apartment, either. It's mostly just his kitchen, or more accurately, his oven. He knows he overfilled the cupcake tin, but that just meant bigger cupcakes, right? So he’d shoved the pan in, closed the oven, and played video games while he waited for them to bake. He hadn’t even noticed the smoke creeping out of the kitchen until his smoke alarm had abruptly gone off, and by then, it was really too late to save anything. 

Of course he immediately called the fire department. At least, he did after calling DICE in a panic because, _Oh my God, I just set my kitchen on fire, what the fuck do I do?_

Now though, the entire building had been evacuated. Kokichi wipes ineffectually at the flour covering his clothes. It’s like a big, blinking neon sign: Yep, I’m the guy who woke everyone up at two in the morning because he doesn’t know how to make cupcakes! He shoots a grin at a woman huddling with her two kids for warmth. Yeah, late October can get pretty chilly! Probably shouldn’t have gone outside in their pajamas. She glares back and starts whispering something to her children, who then _also_ glare at him. The death glare is apparently hereditary. 

It figures though, doesn’t it? Kokichi finally gets a place of his own, he’s making enough money to actually feed himself three times a day, and he’s blessed with the cutest next door neighbor _ever_ , and now he was going to be kicked out on the streets over such a stupid, bullshit reason. 

On the brightside, the landlord has been giving him soft, sympathetic smiles for the past 20 minutes, so maybe there’s still a chance to avoid getting kicked out. For all he knows, someone probably sets this place on fire monthly. When a firefighter comes out of the building and approaches Kokichi and the landlord, Kokichi makes sure that his eyes are welling up with tears before he faces them. 

“It was actually a fairly small fire. Whatever you were making in the oven-” 

Kokichi sniffles. “C-cupcakes.” The landlord pats his arm consolingly. 

“Right, some of it dripped down to the bottom of the oven, and it caught fire. You’ll need to replace your oven, but otherwise everything is fine. No structural damage to your apartment, and all your other kitchen appliances are fine as well.” The firefighter finishes.

“That’s a relief.” The landlord says. “I’m just glad no one was hurt.”

Kokichi supposes that’s his cue to say something. “I’m really sorry about the fire, it was a total accident!”

The firefighter nods. “I don’t doubt that. But next time, just be more careful, alright?”

Kokichi tunes out whatever else the man says, feeling his phone buzz in his pocket. It’s probably DICE, checking on him. He had sounded pretty freaked out when he’d called earlier, he must have really worried them. He resolves to apologize to them as soon as he knows whether or not he still has a place to live. 

The firefighter retreats to his truck with the others, and the landlord starts ushering everyone back inside, but he holds Kokichi back for a moment to talk to him. It’s the moment of truth. Kokichi takes a deep breath. 

“You’ve been a fine tenant so far, so I’d be willing to let this go. I can tell you’re pretty shaken up by this.” he says, and Kokichi nods. “But this isn’t your first infraction. A few others in your hall have filed complaints against you, claiming there’s too much traffic going in and out of your apartment.”

Kokichi baulks. “Is that really a valid complaint?”

The landlord sighs. “It is when it disturbs the other residents of the building. They say all the people being around is too noisy. And now this… I could understand this happening during the day, but why are you up baking cupcakes at two in the morning? It’s really none of my business how my tenants live their lives, but again, it has disrupted the other residents trying to live _their_ lives.”

Don’t freak out. Stay calm. “The firefighter said it was an accident, though. It was!”

“I know, and I understand that. That’s why I’m letting you off with a warning, but here’s the deal: keep your number of visitations to a minimum, and try not to bother your neighbors. One more incident, and I’m afraid I’ll have to evict you.”

“Got it.” Kokichi replies, head lowered. 

Is getting too many visitors even a problem? Kokichi wonders who had the nerve to complain about him. Maybe Shuichi? He hasn’t really met anyone else in the building, so he has no way of knowing who he might have already pissed off. At least he gets to keep living there, for the time being. Although, maybe it isn’t such good news. He only has to do one small slight against someone else, and then he’s back on the streets. The thought makes him a little sick, but he pushes it down. He can handle this, and if not, hey, why would he want to live somewhere that tries to limit how often he can see his friends in the comfort of his own home anyway? 

Pretty much everyone has gone back inside at this point, so Kokichi decides he should probably head in, too, and assess the damages. At the front door though, Kokichi spots Shuichi hesitating, holding it open for him. 

“Good morning, Shuichi! Did you sleep well?” he asks. “I gotta say, I much preferred the pajamas you were wearing when we first met. Galaxy print is so three years ago.” Kokichi is pretty sure that Shuichi could look good in anything, but the shirt he’s wearing now is hideous and a little too big for him in the shoulder area. The way it starts to slip down one side is kind of appealing, though. 

Shuichi spares a glance down at what he’s wearing, but his face doesn’t betray his thoughts. He looks up again, eyes stopping on the flour on Kokichi’s clothes. “Are you okay?”

“Psh. I’m perfectly fine. My oven, on the other hand, is out of commission. Not like it matters! I subsist entirely on microwaveable meals and soda.” It’s not really a lie, either, but he is disappointed he’d only gotten to use his oven _once_ before he’d messed it up. And it’s not like he has a lot of extra money lying around to get a new one. 

“I, uh… I overheard your conversation with the landlord.”

Kokichi nods as if he already knew that. “What kind of detective doesn’t eavesdrop on private conversations? Honestly, I’d be disappointed to hear that you _didn’t_.”

Shuichi averts his eyes. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to pry into your business or anything. I was just worried, I guess. I hope this isn’t too presumptuous of me, but… You’re not good at cooking, are you?”

It’s quite the assumption, albeit not an inaccurate one. Kokichi hasn’t really ever needed to know how to cook, and whenever the subject of learning had come up, he’d figured he’d just read a How-To article or something. Ignoring the fact that baking and cooking were two different things, (and Kokichi had managed to fuck up the easier of the two) Shuichi wasn’t wrong. 

“Well I can’t be perfect all the time!” Kokichi laughs. 

“Right. So… I was wondering if, maybe, you’d be okay with me giving you lessons? I mean, I understand if that makes you uncomfortable, since we don’t really know each other, and I’m not exactly a 5 star chef or anything, but… I just don’t want to see you get kicked out. And everyone should know how to cook for themselves.”

Kokichi decides to cross Shuichi off the very short list of people who could have complained about him. The offer is so goddamn _nice_ that Kokichi doesn’t know how to reply for a second, and he’s horrified about what expression he could be making at the moment, because Shuichi has full view of it. 

The offer is very tempting though, if only because Kokichi is thirsty as hell. “If Shuichi is that desperate to spend time with me, how can I say no?”

-

Kokichi had scribbled down his phone number on Shuichi’s hand so he could text him later about setting up details for their first cooking lesson. Sure, they live next door to each other, but they both had pretty busy schedules. Case in point, Kokichi is still in the middle of painting his face pure white when Shuichi manages to find the time in between whatever it is detectives do to pose his first question: What does Kokichi like to eat?

His answer of, “Candy!” is apparently not good enough, because it’s promptly ignored as Shuichi asks him again. Kokichi takes a moment to actually consider the answer before replying to Shuichi’s text as he finishes up his base and starts in on the black triangle details that go under his eyes. 

When you don’t know when your next meal will be, you get used to pretty much just eating whatever you can. His preferences can be summed up to anything that will give him enough energy to survive the day, and maybe with his better income he should have more refined tastes, but the only things he finds himself craving are carbonated beverages and anything that would give a dentist nightmares. 

He finishes the details and plucks up a red clown nose. He usually doesn’t wear one, but there’s nothing wrong with a little variety now and then. It annoys his boss when he doesn’t stick to one look like the rest of his coworkers, but you don’t get to be Clown-of-the-Month for three months in a row without stepping on a few pairs of big red shoes. Besides, today he’s working an all ages event, and most people aren’t happy unless their clown is a spitting image of the stuff in their nightmares. No accounting for taste, he supposes. 

‘ _Idk, i’ll eat anything! Maybe u should tell me your favorite food, and then we can make that for our first lesson!_ ’ Kokichi texts back. Then he promptly shuts off his phone so he can focus on getting ready. The costume he’s wearing today has a lot of buttons and zippers, so it’s going to take a little longer than usual to put it on.

-

Kokichi has had worse days at work. There was the time he’d accidentally split his finger open while operating the cotton candy machine, or the time he hadn’t eaten all day and had ended up passing out in the middle of the magic show he was helping out with. Still, community events were his least favorite to work. Kokichi did better working for smaller audiences, particularly small children who weren’t yet afraid of clowns and typically didn’t accidentally stab him in the eye with a bubble solution coated balloon animals. An all ages event was like a ‘torture the clown’ free for all, and everyone would get in on it. 

By far the worst was the adults. Children were stupid and never really intended to hurt him, and teenagers typically kept their distance, unless they were the type to openly mock him. But the adults, especially when they were drunk… 

Kokichi is just glad to call it a day when the event wraps up and he’s finally able to wipe all the oxidized stage makeup off his face. Wearing that dumb red nose had been a mistake, too, and Kokichi gratefully breathes in through his pinched nose when it’s released from its confines. He likes his job, really, he does! It’s a lot of work though, and sometimes, (just sometimes!) he thinks he’s made a mistake making a career out of being the center of attention. 

After changing into more casual clothes, Kokichi boots his phone back up and sees he has two new messages. One from his group chat with DICE, and one from Shuichi. He opens the one from DICE first as he starts the short walk to the bus stop. He could use some good news, and DICE delivers. There’s a short report of how their latest operation had gone, as well as a picture of the results. Kokichi doesn’t bother to stop the smile that spreads across his face as he takes in the image of a perfectly carved jack-o-lantern sitting on top of the KFC colonel’s shoulders- right where his head should be. A few seeds have spilled out onto the statue’s body, and there’s a distressed employee just barely in frame. 

He hadn’t been sure they could pull it off, but he’s glad they did. It almost makes the day he’s had worth it. 

Assuming the bus will be on time, he still has a few minutes to wait for it as he takes his usual seat at the bus stop and opens Shuichi’s message. 

‘ _I suppose we could try making Teriyaki Salmon? It’s fairly easy to make._ ’

Kokichi wonders if Shuichi picked the dish because of its apparent simplicity or because he actually really enjoys it. Either is a good enough reason, so Kokichi agrees readily. The idea of sitting down and eating is an enticing one after being on his feet for ten hours, so he asks if they can have their lesson as soon as he gets home. He isn’t expecting Shuichi to say yes, since they’ve both worked all day, but just as the bus is pulling up in front of Kokichi, his phone buzzes with the answer. 

‘ _That’s fine. Just come by whenever you’re ready to get started._ ’

-

Kokichi manages to ring Shuichi’s doorbell seven times before he answers the door. “Was that really necessary?” he asks as he steps aside to allow Kokichi into his apartment. 

“Of course, how else would you know I was here?” he answers. Once again he finds his eyes flitting around the apartment, intrigued by Shuichi’s possessions. It all looks so _new_ and _expensive_ and nothing at all like the thrift store furniture he has across the hall. He has two bookcases in his living room alone, packed to burst with a mix of paper and hardback novels. Kokichi spots the Danganronpa novelizations tucked into the very bottom of one shelf, nowhere near where they should be in an alphabetized order, nearly hidden. Kokichi snickers. 

On Shuichi’s pretty glass coffee table, there’s an open case file, and Kokichi is almost surprised. So Shuichi is like… a _detective_ detective. It’s not really that Kokichi thought Shuichi had been lying before, it’s more like he just didn’t really comprehend what that meant until he noticed the file. 

Shuichi quietly walks over and shuts the file though, before Kokichi can get close enough to read any details. “Are you ready to get started now?” Shuichi asks, gesturing in the direction of his kitchen. 

“Yep! So, come on, Shuichi. Teach me, teach me!” 

Shuichi exhales on a small laugh, before turning around and heading into his kitchen, and Kokichi follows closely on his heels. “I’ve already gotten most of the things set up.” Shuichi explains. True to his word, there’s a countertop lined with bowls and measuring tools and ingredients. “And I’ve already pre-heated the stove top. Um… you know how to do that, right?”

“Duh!” Kokichi says, following Shuichi’s lead as he moves over to the sink to wash his hands. 

“Good.” When they’re finished washing and drying their hands, Shuichi pulls a smaller mixing bowl closer to him, as well as a bottle of mirin, soy sauce, and a bag of sugar. “First, we’ll need to make the Teriyaki sauce. Could you get the sake out of the refrigerator?”

Kokichi hums in agreement as he walks over to the fridge. Shuichi busies himself with searching a drawer for something, which gives Kokichi an extra few seconds to snoop. There are few pictures on the outside of Shuichi’s fridge, held up by alphabet magnets. Shuichi himself is only in one of the pictures: a group shot where he’s being sandwiched between a pretty blonde girl and a man with stupid hair and an even stupider goatee. The picture is older, Shuichi is wearing an ugly emo baseball cap, and all three are posing in front of a highschool that matches the emblem on Shuichi’s coat. 

Kokichi opens the fridge to take out the sake, and pointedly does not think about the fact that ugly goatee man is wearing a very familiar galaxy print shirt that seems to fit his shoulders well. The inside of the fridge is pretty barren, interestingly enough. There’s the sake, which Kokichi quickly snatches up, and a bottle of white wine. It looks like there might be some vegetables in one of the drawers, but Shuichi had stopped shuffling around beside Kokichi a moment ago, so he doesn’t have time to check for sure. 

Kokichi closes the door and taps one of the other pictures hung up on it. “Who is that old guy?”

Shuichi looks at the old guy in question before answering. “My uncle. I work for him at his detective agency. Here,” and he hands Kokichi a tablespoon. “We need one tablespoon of each of these, except for the soy sauce, which we need two of.”

So far, not so bad. Kokichi adds two tablespoons of soy sauce, and then one each of the mirin, sake, and sugar. Shuichi smiles at him and begins mixing them together, so Kokichi watches silently. If he’s honest, he feels a little out of his depth here. He doesn’t want to make a mistake and get kicked out, but this standing around and helping thing isn’t really natural for him. Watching Shuichi is nice enough, _sure_ , but it’s also kind of boring. 

“Okay, I’ll start melting some butter in the pan, and you can start seasoning the salmon fillets. Is that okay?” Shuichi asks, pausing in his whisking.

Kokichi salutes him, watching as Shuichi slides the plate of salmon over to him. “Just coat both sides evenly with salt and pepper, okay?”

Easy enough, Kokichi thinks. He maybe over-seasons one side with the pepper, but is there really such a thing as ‘over-seasoning’? Anything worth doing is worth overdoing! 

Shuichi turns away from the surely stimulating sight of melting butter to examine Kokichi’s work, but he’s not quick enough to hide the way his eyebrows briefly shoot up upon inspection. “You did well. They’ll, um, be pretty flavorful.” Kokichi grins up at him, throwing his hands behind his head. It takes him two seconds to catch up to what he just did before he gasps and looks at his hands in horror. “You need to wash your hands again.” 

“Oops, sorry Shuichi! I’m kind of a ditz sometimes.” He says, laughing as he hip-bumps Shuichi out of his way so he can wash his hands again. He can feel heat crawling up the back of his neck, but he ignores it, because he’s absolutely not getting flustered in front of the guy who already knows he’s a disaster in the kitchen. 

“It’s fine. When you’re done, you’ll also need to coat the salmon in flour. Um, if it’s alright with you, for a side dish, would you like baked asparagus? I also have some leftover rice we could heat up instead…” 

Kokichi thinks about it for a second as he flicks the last few droplets of water from his fingers. “If this is a cooking lesson, then I should be getting the most out of it, right? I only play on hard mode, Shuichi! Let’s up the ante!” 

“Oh, okay.” Shuichi nods and pulls the asparagus out of the fridge. “Asparagus it is, then. We can get started on it once the salmon starts cooking.”

Once the salmon is coated in flour, Shuichi instructs Kokichi to set the fillets in the pan, “Skin-side down, please,” and start preheating the oven for the asparagus. When Kokichi creeps up beside Shuichi to help with the seasoning, Shuichi stumbles over his words. “I’ll season the asparagus, and you can just watch? You are doing the majority of the work anyway.”

It’s a weak excuse, but _fine_ , Shuichi doesn’t want to be impressed by his mad olive oil pouring skills. 

Kokichi watches Shuichi s l o w l y measure out the seasonings for the asparagus as the salmon sizzles away in the pan, already beginning to fill the room with a nice aroma. It makes Kokichi’s stomach growl, and he’s seriously regretting eating nothing but cotton candy all day. The salmon doesn’t take long though, and Shuichi expertly flips them over before pouring an indeterminate amount of sake over the top of it and putting a lid on. 

“Uh,” Shuichi looks over to Kokichi’s confused stare. “How much sake was that?”

Shuichi blinks, then, “Oh, sorry. I, uh, I don’t really measure it out? I suppose it was about a shot’s worth.” Shuichi wrings his hands together, checking the oven’s preheating light before he puts the pan of asparagus inside. “Sorry. I’m not really used to explaining what I do in the kitchen.”

“Some teacher _you_ are.” Kokichi snorts. With both the salmon and the asparagus cooking, there isn’t a lot for the two of them to do besides stand around. Shuichi makes it about thirty seconds, standing and shuffling his feet, before he starts washing the few dishes that have piled up since they began. 

“You don’t have to answer this, but… who are all those people that go in and out of your apartment?” Shuichi asks out of nowhere as he cleans. 

It’s not like Kokichi hasn’t expected some light interrogation in return, but he’s been anticipating more boring questions like, “What do you do for a living?”

“They’re my underlings. You know, members of my super secret evil organization. We meet on Tuesdays, and we have matching jackets. You should join! I could always use another detective in my ranks, makes running away from the cops that much easier.” He isn’t disappointed when Shuichi gives him a bewildered look. 

“That’s a lie, isn’t it?”

Kokichi shakes his head. “No way! Would I lie to you? Besides, can you think of any other explanation?”

Shuchi purses his lips but otherwise, disappointingly, doesn’t answer. Instead, he removes the lid from the salmon and transfers them to a clean plate. Kokichi is momentarily confused before Shuichi pours the Teriyaki sauce into the now empty pan and says, “We need this to hit a boil before we put the salmon back in. When we do, you’ll need to spoon the sauce over the salmon and let it sit until the sauce thickens. By then, the asparagus should be done.”

 _Thank God,_ Kokichi’s stomach seems to echo the sentiment. 

By the time everything is done and plated, Kokichi thinks he could literally inhale his food in a matter of seconds, but he puts on a smile and leans his elbow on the table as Shuichi pours them both a glass of wine. “Wow, this is almost like a date! Shuichi is gonna wine and dine me and then make an honest man out of me, huh?”

Shuichi takes his seat across the table from Kokichi, face pink. “Wha- no! It’s not- I mean-”

“Just kidding! This looks so good, Shuichi! Let’s hurry up and eat!”

Shuichi clamps his mouth shut and nods stiffly before he takes a bite of asparagus. Kokichi supposes he’s nervous about the salmon, so he takes a bite of that first to reassure him. 

It’s not _bad_ by any stretch, but maybe Kokichi was wrong about that over-seasoning thing. He takes a small sip of his wine, which isn’t really helpful either since he doesn’t exactly like alcohol. “Jeez, this salmon is pretty gross. I thought you told me you knew how to cook!”

Shuichi frowns and takes a tiny bite of the salmon. After a moment of chewing, he shakes his head, swallows. “It’s not gross. You did a good job for your first time cooking, Kokichi.” Then, hesitantly, “You were a little heavy handed with the pepper.”

“Wha-? The pepper is the best part!” Kokichi lies as he takes another, larger bite of salmon. Maybe it’s the hunger, but he thinks the second bite tastes better than the first. He tries to match the dainty bites Shuichi is taking of his own food, but it doesn’t last long. Through a mouthful of asparagus, he asks Shuichi who stupid goatee guy is.

“Who?”

Kokichi rolls his eyes. “That picture on your fridge? Who is the guy with the dumb facial hair? Is he your boyfriend? Your highschool sweetheart?”

Kokichi expects Shuichi to get flustered again and deny it, but instead he actually _laughs_ , a real, full laugh that makes Kokichi’s chest tight. “That’s Kaito, and _no_ , he’s just my best friend. I’ve known him and Kaede, that’s the girl in the picture, since high school. There’s another girl, Maki, she took the picture. Kaito is actually _her_ boyfriend.”

“Is someone jealous? Did she steal your man?” 

Shuichi shakes his head and takes a sip of his wine before answering. “God, no. Um, actually, at the time that picture was taken, I was in a relationship with Kaede.”

That’s discouraging on the sexuality front, but he smiles anyway. “And where is Kaede now?”

Luckily, the question doesn’t seem to prompt any negative feelings, because Shuichi just hums in thought before answering. “We decided to end things when she went overseas to study. We still talk a few times a month, but she’s always so busy. She’s a pianist, so she travels a lot for her performances.”

The words aren’t wistful, full of longing. Whatever feelings the two had between them now are nothing more than platonic, as far as Kokichi can tell. “Kaito and Maki live in town, though. I have lunch with them fairly often, and we go to the gym together when I can find the time between cases. Could I ask about your friends? Did your friend like his birthday present?”

It takes a second for Shuichi’s question to register in his brain. “Oh, Kiiboy? His birthday isn’t until Friday. I just ordered his present super early so I’d get it in time!”

“Ah, I see.” 

Kokichi doesn’t realize it until he sees Shuichi’s own empty plate that they’ve both finished eating. He takes another small drink of his wine, still not loving the taste. He doesn’t really want the conversation to end, so he tries to think of a reasonable excuse to stay longer. 

“You know, since you’re so interested in Kiibaby’s reaction, maybe you should come to his party with me!”

For a moment, Shuichi doesn’t say anything. He quietly rises from the table and takes their plates. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I don’t know your friend, and I don’t have a gift. Um. But, thank you for the offer?”

Kokichi stands, too, trailing after Shuichi as he sets the plates in the sink to be washed. “Aw, come on! We can just say my present is from _both_ of us.”

Shuichi flushes an attractive shade of red. “I- I’m not sure I would be comfortable gifting something like _that_ to someone I’d only just met.”

“Are you sure? You could get him something small! Like a giftcard or something, if you really wanted to get him something. Can’t you just come and keep me company?” Kokichi bats his eyes and pouts. “Please? Pretty please, Shuichi?”

Shuichi swallows as he takes in Kokichi’s expression, (success!) and finally nods, eyes downcast. “Alright. I suppose I will. This Friday?”

“Mhm! I’ll come over around five. Is our lesson over?”

Shuichi looks back up, confusion written across his face for a moment. Then, realization dawns, and he rubs the back of his neck. “Yes, we’re finished. Did… Do you feel like you’ve learned anything?”

“Totally!” Kokichi says, startling Shuichi with the force behind the words. “I learned that fish is really gross. We’ll have to make something better next time. Something sweeter!” Shuichi nods as he follows Kokichi to the front door.

“I’ll see what we can do. Maybe something a bit more complicated? You follow instructions well enough.” Shuichi leans against his doorway as he watches Kokichi bounce across the hall and unlock his door.

“Oh, really? Wow! That’s super high praise coming from you! My heart is all a-flutter.” Kokichi says, which isn’t even entirely untrue, not that Shuichi needs to know that. “Text me later, okay?” And then, because he’s Kokichi, he slams his door before Shuichi can respond.

He grins to himself a few minutes later when he receives a text that simply reads, ‘ _Goodnight, Kokichi._ ’


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuichi and Kokichi have their second cooking lesson.

‘ _Something sweet, but more complex than baking…_ ’ Shuichi flips another page in one of his aunt’s cookbooks, frowning when there’s still nothing that fits the narrow qualifications he has for his next lesson with Kokichi. He pauses on a recipe for cupcakes and briefly entertains the idea, but he decides against it, thinking it best not to accidentally offend Kokichi. 

“What’s that you have there?” 

Shuichi looks up, seeing his uncle come around his desk to peer over the book with him. He sees no reason to lie, so he explains. “I’ve been giving my neighbor cooking lessons, and I’m trying to decide what our next lesson should be over.”

“Cooking lessons? You haven’t told me about this.” Shuichi shrugs. 

“We’ve only had one lesson so far.” he flips the page. The next recipe is for cheesecake, and Shuichi looks over the ingredients to see if he even has what it requires. He’s all out of cream cheese, and he doubts he has the right type of pan to make it anyway. “He wants to make something sweet next. I don’t really eat sweet things, though, so I’m having trouble picking something out.”

Head lowered, Shuichi doesn’t notice his uncle reach over until the book is lifted away from him. He thumbs through at least a dozen pages before he smiles and slides the book back onto the desk in front of Shuichi and taps the page it’s landed on. “You used to like these when you were young. Couldn’t get you to touch them by the time you entered high school, but maybe you’ll change your mind now, hm?”

Shuichi reads the recipe title and smiles. “These are perfect, thank you.” he says, quickly reaching over for a pen to write a shopping list. 

His uncle laughs lightly and ruffles his hair, which Shuichi _hates_ because it makes his cowlick stand up more so than before. Still, he leans into the touch just the slightest. “Why don’t you hold onto that? Mei has all those old books memorized, I bet she wouldn’t even notice if you had it.”

“Could I? I promise I’ll return it.” Shuichi says, closing the book and tracing the aged leather bound cover. Nearly every meal he’d ever eaten with his aunt and uncle had come from inside of it, and the thought of having possession over it made him a bit… nervous? As if simply having it would spell the book’s doom; relegated to a life of sitting untouched on his coffee table, with condensation rings staining it. Shuichi would never treat the book as a coaster, _of course_ , but his anxious thoughts rarely make sense. 

“Of course. It’s good to see it’ll be getting some use, instead of collecting dust on our bookshelves. Now come, I wanted to discuss that new case with you over tea. I know you dislike working infidelity cases, but…” he trails off, and Shuichi stands to follow him. 

“No, no, it’s fine. I’ll get the tea going.”

-

When asked if he’s okay with the next lesson plan, Kokichi responds back with a text full of nothing but heart and praying hands emojis, so Shuichi takes that as a good sign. 

The recipe only makes one serving, but that’s just fine with him. Kokichi can gorge himself on sugar and berries while Shuichi busies himself with washing dishes and cleaning up the mess they’re both almost certain to make, considering their unfamiliarity with the recipe. 

When Kokichi arrives at 7 am, he’s still wearing pajamas. He yawns loudly enough that Shuichi almost asks him if he’d rather reschedule, but then Kokichi is bouncing on his toes with his hands balled up in excited fists as he eyes the countertop covered in cooking supplies. “I’m so excited!” he exclaims, rushing over to wave around Shuichi’s immersion blender like a lightsaber, verbal sound effects and all. “Hey, what is this?” he asks after a few more seconds of make-believe. 

“An immersion blender. We’ll be using it to make the whipped cream and mix the batter later.” Shuichi explains as he gently extracts it from Kokichi’s hand and lays it back down. “First we need to wash our hands and pre-heat the stovetop, though.”

Kokichi nods enthusiastically and follows Shuichi’s lead, though he’s reluctant to turn the heat down to a more reasonable level until Shuichi explains that higher heat doesn’t necessarily equal a faster cooking time. “Okay. Now we can separate the eggs.” 

“Separate?” Kokichi picks up one of the eggs already laying out. “We can’t just crack it into the bowl?”

Shuichi shakes his head as he takes the other egg and cracks it just enough to carefully pry it apart and pour the whites into one bowl and the yolk into another one. “Think you can do that?”

“Pshh, of course! That’s not even hard!” Kokichi does manage to cleanly separate the egg parts, but he does so while also getting half of the egg’s shell into the bowl with the yolks. “Oops.” he giggles. Shuichi holds back a sigh and pulls the shell out, shaking it to get off any excess egg sticking to it. “What’s next?”

“I’ll put these egg whites in the freezer while you get started on mixing the rest of the batter.” Shuichi says, picking up the bowl. “You’ll need to measure out one and a half tablespoons of milk and a fourth of a teaspoon of vanilla extract.”

Shuichi glances over to see Kokichi squinting at two different measuring spoons. “Tablespoons have a ‘b’ in the abbreviation.” Shuichi offers as he closes the freezer. Kokichi’s eyes flick over for just a second before he looks back at the spoons and sets one down.

“Duh, I knew that. I’m not totally helpless, you know! But, I guess if it makes you feel better to explain everything in excruciatingly boring detail, who am I to object?” His tone is flat as if he actually is bored with what they’re doing, but once the milk and vanilla is added, he’s back to being unable to stay still. He seems delighted when Shuichi hands him a whisk, fingers curling around the instrument like it’s a scepter fit for the supreme leader he plays at being. 

“You’re doing well, just keep whisking until it’s frothy. Then I’ll sift in the flour and baking powder.”

As Kokichi whisks, the tip of his tongue slips out as he puts all his focus into his job. It’s, unfortunately, completely adorable; Shuichi finds himself wondering if Kokichi even realizes he's done it. After a few minutes, his whisking slows, and he quirks his eyebrow at the mixture. “Is it supposed to be all thick now?” he asks. Shuichi rips his attention away from Kokichi’s mouth- heat rising to the tips of his ears. 

“Uh- um. Yes. Yeah, that’s perfect.” He stutters out, earning a questioning look from his cooking partner. Then, Kokichi giggles.

“You can’t help but be amazed by my whisking prowess, huh, Shuichi? I know, I’m a natural!” Shuichi immediately wants the ground to swallow him up, but he knows better than to think that he’ll be so lucky. “Are you going to sift the flour now?”

Shuichi nods jerkily, stepping closer to Kokichi to measure out the flour and baking powder. As soon as it’s been sifted in, Kokichi enthusiastically returns to whisking. “Be careful not to overmix it, okay?” 

Kokichi slows down just a touch. “You can overmix something?” he asks. “Wow, I am learning all kinds of new things today. You’re a super good teacher, Shuichi!” Nodding to himself, he removes the whisk from the bowl too quickly, flinging batter across the room. “I think it’s mixed! Do we cook them now?”

Shuichi shakes his head, more so at the mess than at the question, though both are applicable. “No, now we need to add the egg whites from the freezer.” He hears Kokichi mumble something about having forgotten about the egg whites as he pulls the bowl from the freezer. They’re semi-frozen already, and he reaches for the immersion blender, to Kokichi’s delight. 

“Okay, watch closely. You’ll be doing this to the whipped cream in just a bit.” When he’s assured that Kokichi is indeed paying attention, Shuichi starts whipping the eggs until they’ve gone from their translucent yellow color to a frothy, pale white. “Alright, now measure out two tablespoons of sugar and add them gradually as I stir, please.” 

When that’s done, Shuichi asks Kokichi to brush down the pan with cooking oil and use a paper towel to sop up excess oil. “If there’s too much oil in the pan, it’ll cause spots to form.” Shuichi scoops out a third of the beaten egg whites and adds it to the batter. “Got your whisk?”

Kokichi brandishes it with a flourish, clearly eager to do more whisking. When it’s all mixed, Shuichi adds another third. “Okay, this time you’ll need to fold the whites and the batter together.” 

“How do I do that?” Kokichi asks. Shuichi hesitates for just a second before he takes the whisk from Kokichi and demonstrates, lifting and folding the batter and whites together. “Okay, I think I got it. Gimme!” 

Shuichi watches in horror as Kokichi mashes the two together. Without thinking, he takes Kokichi by the wrist and slows down his movements. “Like this, alright?” And he moves Kokichi’s hand in a figure 8 pattern, other hand reaching around Kokichi’s tiny body to grab the bowl and turn it as he mixes. He’s aware that they’re awfully close, Kokichi’s back is just an inch from his own body and there’s a few purple strands of hair brushing against Shuichi’s nose if he leans in too close, but how else is he supposed to make sure that their breakfast turns out light and fluffy as opposed to the chewy mess Kokichi was apparently dead set on turning it into? “Shuichi likes getting all close and personal with me, huh? It’s okay, I don’t mind.”

Shuichi wishes he could see Kokichi’s expression from the angle he’s at, but no such luck. Taking a step back and relinquishing his hold on Kokichi and the mixing bowl, he exhales. “Okay, last bit. Just pour the batter into the rest of the egg whites and fold it like I showed you.”

When it’s mixed, Kokichi claps his hands together. “All done! _Now_ can we cook them?”

“Yes. Just start with two scoops each, and try not to spread it out too much. They need to be tall, not wide.” Kokichi does as asked, spooning batter into the pan and making three roughly equal sized pancakes. “Alright, now add one more scoop each. Good.” Shuichi carefully pours a tablespoon of water into the empty areas of the pan and covers it with a lid. 

“What is the water for?” Kokichi asks. 

“It keeps them moist. Will you get the strawberries out of the fridge, please? I can start chopping them while that cooks.” Shuichi searches a drawer for a moment before he manages to find the knife he’s looking for. “After about two minutes you can add the last of the batter to each one, and maybe a bit more water if it’s all evaporated.”

Kokichi sighs, catching Shuichi’s attention. “You don’t trust me with a knife?” Shuichi can’t help but smile at the defeated expression on his face. 

“No, I’m sure you’re more than capable of cutting fruit. But this is a cooking lesson, not a knife cutting lesson.”

“I need one of those, too!” 

Shuichi doesn’t bother responding as he removes the tops from strawberries and splits them down the middle. When Kokichi has placed the lid back on the pancakes, Shuichi asks him to fill the larger of the last two empty bowls with ice water and set the other inside. “It’s for the whipped cream,” he explains when Kokichi asks about it. 

“That sounds dumb. Is Shuichi trying to trick me?” Even as he’s saying it though, Kokichi is doing as he asked. Shuichi chops the last strawberry and adds the halves to the bowl he’s nearly filled and sets it aside. 

“Now just pour in half a cup of the heavy cream, and one and a half tablespoons of sugar, and you can start mixing it with the blender.” 

The immersion blender whirrs to life before it’s even made it into the bowl, and Shuichi doesn’t have time to stop Kokichi before there’s cream splattered _everywhere_. With the amount coating the cabinets and himself, he’s surprised there’s any still left in the bowl. Kokichi has taken the brunt of the explosion, his plain black t-shirt dripping with the pale liquid. “Just so you know, I meant to do that.” he says, not missing a beat as he mixes together whatever is left. He still manages to make whipped cream, at any rate, and he swipes a finger through the topping and tastes it, smile on his face. “It’s good!”

“I should hope so,” Shuichi says quietly as he prys his attention from the state of his kitchen and removes the lid from the pancakes to check on them. “Set it in the fridge to keep it cold until these are done. I think they’re ready to be flipped.” Shuichi flips one slowly, almost rolling it over to reveal the perfectly browned bottom. “They are. Can you flip these two?”

Kokichi seems hesitant, moving slower than Shuichi thinks he’s ever seen him move as he flips over one, the cake wobbling dangerously before flopping over, and then the other. “I did it! Shuichi, are you proud of me? I'm the best student ever, right?” he asks, eyes lighting up. 

Shuichi adds a touch more water around the sides of the pan before nodding and putting the lid back on. “You’ve done a great job, Kokichi.” It earns him that signature equine laugh, different from the light giggles that usually pepper Kokichi’s speech. 

“Alright! Let’s finish this up and eat! I’m soooo hungry!”

When the souffle pancakes are finished and plated, Shuichi slides the strawberries and a bottle of maple syrup over to Kokichi and goes to retrieve the whipped cream from the fridge. Kokichi dumps a handful of strawberry pieces over the top, not bothering to place them nicely before drenching everything in a heavy coat of syrup. He eagerly takes the whipped cream when it’s offered to him and scoops it all on top. 

Immediately, Kokichi digs in, taking a bite that Shuichi is surprised to see fit inside his mouth, with only a small dab of whipped cream dotting his lip as he moans obscenely around it. “Do they taste alright?” he asks, perhaps unnecessarily. 

Kokichi nods, mouth full. “It’s so good!” he says, or at least Shuichi thinks that’s what he’s said. It’s somewhat difficult to tell around the mouthful of food. 

“I’m glad.”

Then, Kokichi swallows, darts his tongue out to get the whipped cream he'd missed. “Isn’t Shuichi going to have some?”

Shuichi looks away, moving to start tidying up the kitchen, starting with the heavy cream still dripping down his cabinets. “I hadn't planned on it. I picked this recipe for you, after all. I'm not a big fan of things with a lot of sugar.”

“That's not fair!” Kokichi protests, stomping one foot. “You're my teacher, Shuichi! How will you know if I've done well or not if you don't try what I made?” He trades his anger for tears, welling up in the blink of violet eyes. 

“You don't have to cry, Kokichi, I can tell those are fake tears.” He thinks so anyway, sincerely hopes so.

Kokichi's eyebrows raise and his lips quirk up into a small smile. “You caught me before I even started! It's like you really know me.”

Shuichi wishes he had at least an hour to think of a response to _that_ , but he doesn't, so he just stares dumbly back at Kokichi. Then, there's a forkful of pancake and strawberry directly in his face. Does Kokichi really expect him to let himself be fed like that? On the same fork, even? When Shuichi doesn't bite, Kokichi frowns again. “Come on, one bite?” His bottom lip juts out, and Shuichi has to wonder if Kokichi can tell that he is hopelessly infatuated after a handful of interactions. It's so bizarre to him, the way he feels like the biggest idiot on the planet and the luckiest guy in the world to be the subject of Kokichi's attention.

And _that_ is decidedly too much emotion for being offered a bite of pancakes, but Shuichi also hasn't ever been in a situation quite like this one before. Every word out of Kokichi's mouth feels like a test and Shuichi just wants to know the right answer. It's overwhelming.

He takes the bite, Kokichi smiling widely as pulls the empty fork away. The pancake is perfectly soft, light and airy like it should be, like he remembers it. The syrup and cream are almost too much, but the strawberry curbs it just enough. It's good, as Kokichi had said before, but not quite to Shuichi's tastes. 

“Well?” Kokichi draws the word out, as he takes another bite, finishing off his first pancake. 

“You already know you did well, Kokichi.” He replies. There's still batter on his floor and a sink full of dishes that need done, but he can't help just watching Kokichi as he takes another bite. When he's eating, he's less likely to say anything that will throw Shuichi off balance, and it's a welcome relief from how mixed up he feels by everything he says. 

Kokichi pierces another cream covered bite of cake, but he offers it to Shuichi again. “I shouldn’t,” Shuichi starts. “I need to clean up in here before I go to work later.” Kokichi doesn’t let up in the small circles he’s making with his fork, trying to entice Shuichi into eating. 

“I can help you clean up after we’re done eating, you know? Then it’ll get done in half the time, and you’ll still be able to go to work in time. It’s a good idea, right?” Kokichi asks. “Breakfast _is_ the most important meal of the day.”

If someone had told Shuichi the day before that he’d be sharing a plate of pancakes with his neighbor, and willingly being fed at that, (as Kokichi never once relinquished control of his fork) then Shuichi likely wouldn’t have believed them. It just felt too… close. Too intimate, though he cringes to use that word. 

When they’ve finished and Shuichi has indeed eaten at least half of the plate, Kokichi keeps his word and they bump shoulders as they stand side by side washing dishes. Kokichi keeps getting distracted playing with soap bubbles, but the work does go quicker than if Shuichi had been working alone. When the kitchen is once again spotless, Kokichi follows him out into the hall as Shuichi locks his apartment door behind him. 

“Did you learn anything?” Shuichi asks as he searches through his keys for the one to his car. He looks up in time to see Kokichi standing in his doorway, grinning widely at him. 

“Yep! I learned that Shuichi is _super_ cute when he’s flustered. Have a good day at work, Mister Detective!”

And then there’s the characteristic slam of Kokichi’s door and the _click!_ of his lock, effectively ending their conversation before Shuichi can even begin to think of a response. 

-

“You’re- what?” Kaito asks, slipping down the sunglasses he’s wearing to peer over the top at Shuichi. “You said you’re going to a party with him?” 

It’s just the two of them at lunch today, as Maki had too many book reports to grade to leave her classroom, evidently. Shuichi can tell Kaito misses her presence, even though they’re bound to see each other when she gets off work and goes home to their shared residence. It’s kind of sweet though, the way they care so much about each other, even if they’re subtle in their affections. 

Kaito scratches at the scruff on his chin, and Shuichi’s mind is brought back to Kokichi’s nickname for him. _Stupid goatee guy_ , and it nearly makes Shuichi laugh, but he manages to disguise it as a light cough. “You alright, Shuichi? Getting sick?”

“Ah, no. I’m fine.”

Kaito makes a displeased noise and crosses his arms. “I don’t know, Shuichi. In college I had to _beg_ to get you to come to any parties. Now you’ve known this weirdo for a few weeks and he asks you to come to a party where you know _no one_ there, and you’re fine with it? Just seems outside your comfort zone, is all.”

It is, it most definitely is, but that’s not really the point. Shuichi doesn’t know _why_ he felt compelled to agree to accompany Kokichi, but he doesn’t regret his decision. He’s nervous as hell, but at this point in Shuichi’s life, that’s just how he is. It’s confusing to him that Kaito would be so encouraging of him opening up and putting himself out there, but then change his tune when Shuichi actually does so. 

“It is, I suppose. I mean, I said no, initially. It’s just that I… if you met him, you would understand. He’s so…” Shuichi trails off, feeling ridiculous. When he checks Kaito for a reaction, his expression has changed to one of mirth. “What?” he asks, self consciously.

“You have a crush on the guy, don’t you?”

Kaito always did know Shuichi better than Shuichi knew himself. He feels his face heat up and takes a drink of his tea to give him a moment to compose himself. “That’s not- it’s not the only reason.”

Kaito laughs hard enough to shake the table, and Shuichi vaguely wishes he’d stayed in to have lunch with his uncle instead. Then, suddenly, Kaito sobers up. “Man. Now I owe Maki Roll a thousand yen. Damn. So you’re not going to the gym with us on Friday, then?”

Shuichi shakes his head. “I’m afraid not.” 

Kaito slumps down in his seat. “That sucks. It’s more fun with you there. Maki thinks so, too, even if she doesn’t say it.”

“I know, I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you, though.” 

Kaito nods. “Good. Now, enough moping! Why don’t you tell me about that weirdo you’re into. What’s so great about him that you have to miss out on training, huh?” The question is aggressive, but that’s just Kaito’s nature, so Shuichi smiles. He’s always been embarrassed to talk so frankly about his crushes, but he knows Kaito won’t let up until he gets an answer, and Shuichi maybe kind of _does_ want to talk about Kokichi.

“Well,” he begins. “He has really nice eyes…”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kiibo's birthday has finally arrived!

As much as Kokichi _loves_ public transport, he's delighted when Shuichi offers to drive them both to Kiibo's party. 

Shuichi’s car is nicer than Kokichi was anticipating, but he’s not sure why he’s so surprised. Every other aspect of the way Shuichi dresses and the layout of his apartment seems to imply he has a very specific taste, which seems to be anything black and worth more than Kokichi makes in a year. Despite his apparently lavish tastes, he doesn’t seem all that… refined. At any rate, he lets Kokichi slide into the passenger seat of his Mercedes(!!!) and doesn’t even give him so much as a frown when Kokichi chucks the gift bag he’d been carrying into the back seat, next to the bottle of wine that Kokichi can’t pronounce that serves as Shuichi’s own gift to the birthday boy. 

Kokichi plugs the address into Shuichi’s GPS before reaching over and turning on the radio. Shuichi’s barely made it out of the lot before the lead singer of some American emo band starts whining about Romeo and Juliet, and he’s quick to flip the radio to another station, face tinged pink. “Wow,” Kokichi says as pop music replaces the silence. 

Shuichi clears his throat. “A-anyway. I’ve been meaning to ask you about your friends. Are they going to be the same ones that visit you all the time?”

‘All the time’ is a bit of an overstatement at this point. Lately Kokichi’s been going out to see DICE, lest his cooking lessons with Shuichi be for naught as he gets kicked out anyway. Still, he shakes his head. “Nope! Those aren’t my friends anyway; they’re my subordinates, remember?”

“So they work for you?” 

“Yep!” Kokichi looks out the window as they pass by the KFC that DICE had hit. The statue is clean now, sadly, with no lingering trace of the incident that had come to pass. “They do my evil bidding. Cover my tracks when I commit crimes, wait on me hand-and-foot, that sort of thing.”

“What sort of crimes might those be?” Shuichi asks, eyes not leaving the road in front of him. Huh. Shuichi is a good driver!

“What a boring question. But, I guess I can’t blame you for being interested. You are a detective after all. Oh, hey! We’re almost there.” Kokichi points excitedly at the big white building they’re coming up to. 

“Iidabashi Labs? Why is the party being held at a laboratory?” Shuichi asks, more to himself than to Kokichi as he pulls into the parking lot. 

Kokichi ignores the question to take off his seatbelt and reach into the backseat while the car is still moving, to Shuichi’s horror. “Nishishi, I hope Kiibo likes his present.” When he settles back into the seat, gift bag in his lap, Shuichi sighs. 

“You really couldn’t have waited for me to park?” Shuichi asks while doing so. “You could have gotten hurt, you know?”

“Psh, are you worried about me or something? There’s no need for that! I’m perfectly fine! I’m just super excited for you to meet my friends! I bet you’ll like them, they’re all boring and reserved like you.”

A lie, of course. Kokichi is actually horrified thinking of all the ways things could go wrong. Tsumugi with her knowing looks and Rantaro with his 'big-brother instincts’ bullshit that's just an excuse to get in Kokichi's business. Not to mention Kokichi kept forgetting to ask Shuichi how he felt about bugs, which is definitely something you should know before introducing someone to an entomologist. Kiyo isn't even worth mentioning- anyone with eyes can see the guy is a freak. 

Then there's Miu. Holy shit, what a disaster this will turn out to be. (And maybe part of Kokichi's worries stem from the idea that Miu may or may not be Shuichi's type- according to the picture of a tall, pretty blonde girl on his fridge anyway. And perhaps Miu is only two of those things and Kokichi _knows_ Miu, knows that she's wrapped around Kiibo's little finger and has been for the better part of the time they've known each other, but… well. Who is going to call him out if he steers Shuichi away from the manic inventor?)

Kokichi loves his friends, he does! Even if he would never admit to the fact out loud or act in a manner that would indicate it. 

For a moment, it seems that Shuichi isn’t going to answer as they get out of the car and he grabs his gift for Kiibo. But then he brings his hand up to his mouth, as if to hide his expression, as he mumbles out, “Somehow I doubt that.”

Kokichi doesn’t bother asking which part Shuichi doubts- that he’ll like his friends, or that they’re nothing like Kokichi, but it doesn’t really matter. He spots a mop of puke-green hair up ahead about to enter the building, and Kokichi carelessly drops the gift bag to take a running start and jump onto Rantaro’s back. 

To his credit, Rantaro only sways on his feet for a second. “Kokichi. You’re here early.”

Kokichi clambers down when Rantaro reaches back to try to tickle him- _dick_ -and only then does he respond. “Mhm, I’m here to help set up!” By now, Shuichi has made it across the lot to them, now also carrying Kokichi’s abandoned gift bag. 

“Is that right? Miu didn’t say anything about you helping.” Kokichi nods, but Rantaro sees right through him. “Well, unfortunately for you, we’re already just about done. I was just grabbing the last of the streamers out of my car.” And then he waves the roll of light blue streamers with a smile before turning his attention to Shuichi. “Hey, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Rantaro Amami.”

“Oh, ah, no. We haven’t met, yet. My name is Shuichi Saihara. It’s good to meet you.” Shuichi says, shuffling the items in his hands around. For a moment, it seems like Rantaro is going to say something else, but then his eyes catch on the gifts in Shuichi’s hands. 

“Those are for Kiibo, right? I can show you where to set them. Follow me,” Rantaro doesn’t bother to check if they’re following before leading them inside to one of the main labs. 

The inside of the main lab has been stripped of anything important and breakable, computers and test tubes and whatever else having been removed before Kokichi’s arrival. It’s like his friends don’t trust him, honestly, it’s baffling. There’s light blue and gray streamers hung from every beam or rung in sight, and a large yellow banner is raised just above a table covered in wrapped gifts and reads, “Happy Birthday Kiibo!” in big dumb bubble letters. Kokichi loves every bit of it. 

Rantaro points out the gift table to Shuichi, who excuses himself to go set down their presents while Kokichi hangs back to watch Rantaro hang the last of the streamers. “Those lashes aren’t real, are they?” Rantaro asks as he ascends a rickety ladder that Kokichi is supposed to be holding for him. 

“How should I know? Are you jealous?” Kokichi asks. He’d spent a fair deal of time trying to decide for himself if Shuichi’s lashes were in fact natural or not, but he’s still no closer to the answer. 

“Not particularly, no. Although, he is pretty cute.” Rantaro muses out loud, before sneaking a glance at Kokichi's face before he has a chance to school it into something neutral. Rantaro chuckles and slides down the ladder with ease. “Maybe you're the jealous one, hm?”

“As if. I'm already plenty cute on my own!” Kokichi replies with a grin, deliberately misinterpreting what Rantaro was trying to get at. Rantaro doesn't get the chance to object when Shuichi returns empty handed from depositing their gifts. 

“Well, Kiibo should be here soon with the Professor, so try not to break anything until then, huh?” Rantaro says as he makes his exit.

Yeah, because Kokichi is just going to body slam a table or something. You break one statue in a museum and get banned for life, and no one will ever let you forget it. Take notes, kids!

Kokichi frowns when he looks over to see Shuichi on his phone. He can’t really blame him, but it is disappointing, even if the look of frustration on his face as he tap-tap-taps away is kind of cute. When Shuichi looks up, he seems flustered to notice that Kokichi was watching him. 

“We still have time before Kiibaby’s here. Wanna go bother my other friends?” 

Shuichi tucks his phone back into his pocket and nods. “Sure.”

-

They’ve been there for twenty minutes and Shuichi is already pale and sweating. In Kokichi’s defense, he wasn’t expecting Gonta to be holding a tarantula when they’d approached him, and he also hadn’t realized that Shuichi was the world’s biggest entomophobe. Kokichi is inclined to agree with Shuichi when it comes to how utterly gross bugs are, but as Gonta helpfully pointed out, tarantulas are actually _arachnids_ and thus undeserving of such fear. 

Didn’t really stop Shuichi from screaming when it jumped out of Gonta’s hands and onto the front of Shuichi’s coat. And Kokichi had been banking on Gonta being the one friend that _didn’t_ freak Shuichi out too much.

“Sorry,” Shuichi apologizes for the thirtieth time as Gonta delicately pets his tarantula a safe distance from him. “I didn’t hurt it, did I?” he asks, referring to when he’d swatted it off and onto the ground. His breathing is returning to normal again, at least. Kokichi doesn't feel so bad that he laughed anymore.

“No, no, it okay! Tarantula remarkably resilient!” Gonta says. He’s in a much better mood now that Kokichi had been able to convince him that Shuichi was just startled and that he doesn’t actually hate bugs, even if anyone with a brain could see the way Shuichi recoiled just from the sight of them alone. 

Shuichi starts to apologize _again_ , but he isn’t given the chance when Miu bursts into the room and yells for everyone to shut up and hide. “Kokichi if you make one goddamn peep-”

The lights are flicked off, and Kokichi huddles alongside Shuichi and Gonta behind the gift table as Kiibo and Professor Iidabashi enter the lab. “Why is it so dark in here?” Kiibo asks.

“Just give me a second, I’ll turn the lights on.” the Professor replies, and the instant that the room is flooded in fluorescent yellow once more, everyone leaps up to yell, “Surprise!”

The dumbfounded look on Kiiboy’s face is completely worth it. “What is this?” he asks, as if the idea isn’t obvious. Beside him, the professor chuckles. 

“Happy birthday, Kiibo. It feels like just yesterday I-”

Whatever sweet sentiment the professor had for Kiibo is promptly interrupted by Miu blowing three party horns at once and skipping over to them to throw an arm around each. “Isn’t it great! I planned everything. We have games, alcohol, a fuck-ton of food, aaaand that weirdo Korekiyo helped me bake you the best cake of all time.”

Tsumugi clears her throat loudly from beside the snack table. 

Miu rolls her eyes. “Oh, yeah. And I guess these losers helped set everything up too, I guess.”

Kiibo seems genuinely touched as he hugs Miu tightly. “You all really shouldn’t have.” he says, pulling away.

“Yeah? Well we fuckin’ did. So deal with it!” Miu shouts, but she isn’t able to hide the way her face flushes with red. 

-

As far as parties go, especially ones ran by Miu Iruma of all people, it actually isn’t a total disaster. Shuichi gets along well with Kiibo and Professor Iidabashi- even going so far as to exchange numbers with them. It’s obvious he’s bored by Kokichi and Tsumugi’s conversation about Yu-Gi-Oh, though, because he keeps sneaking glances down at his phone whenever she’s not looking at him, and pulling forced smiles when she is. It’s kind of funny the way he’s trying so hard not to offend any of Kokichi’s friends though, and they seem to repay him in kind by not asking any embarrassing questions like, “How the fuck can you stand Kokichi for more than thirty minutes?”

There’s a close call when Kiibaby asks how they know each other, but Kokichi manages to steer that into safer waters with a question about when the cake will be cut. 

Rantaro answers as he strolls over with a cup of something that makes Kokichi’s eyes water. “I just checked on Kiyo, he says he’ll be done decorating it in- oh, there he is.”

Sure enough, Creepy with a capital ‘C’ enters the room with Miu’s help, carrying a three tier cake decorated with green zeroes and ones, fit for the computer programmer that Kiibo prides himself on being. There’s a soft gasp from Kiibo as the cake is presented and placed on a table. 

“You did a very nice job at the detailing, Kiyo.” Tsumugi simpers, as they all gather around to watch Iidabashi light the big ‘24’ candle. 

“I only regret that it took so long to do. The history of birthday cake is actually a very interesting one. Thought to have originated in Germany, during the Middle Ages, at celebrations known as Kinderfest-”

Miu slaps him on the back with probably more force than necessary. “Hey, save it for afterwards, okay? Now let’s hurry up and sing so we can eat already! I’m fuckin’ starving!”

-

Despite Kokichi’s insistence that he should be the first to receive any cake being had, he’s relegated to the back of the line with Shuichi while Kiyo and Rantaro serve everyone else. He stands on his toes to try to peek over everyone’s shoulders to make sure the slice that he wants doesn’t get taken by someone else, but it’s really a lost cause with how stupidly _tall_ everyone is. 

It’s also becoming increasingly clear that _something_ is on Shuichi’s mind, but Kokichi doesn’t know how to ask what’s up and Shuichi won’t just come out and say anything, so he’s at a loss of what exactly he’s supposed to be doing here. “I know Miu seems gross, and she is, don’t get me wrong, but she can actually bake pretty well.” he says. 

Shuichi blinks and nods. “Better than you, I take it?” and he asks it with a hint of a smile. 

“That’s a low blow, Shuichi. You know I’m sensitive about my culinary skills!” Kokichi chokes out, with a wobble to his lower lip. Shuichi’s smile brightens and he looks away, just in time for them to move up to the table as Gonta takes his slice of cake. 

“Hey guys, sorry about the wait.” Rantaro says as he cuts out two pieces. Neither are the piece that Kokichi wants, and luckily no one else has taken it. He’s about to point it out to Rantaro, but Kiyo interrupts him. 

“Well, I don’t believe my eyes. Shuichi, it’s a wonderful surprise to see you here.” 

Kokichi whips his head around to look at Shuichi, who of course is blushing and looking away. “Korekiyo, I didn’t expect to see you here. How are you doing?”

Kokichi shares a look with Rantaro that can be summed up to, “What the fuck?”

Kiyo nods as he slides one of the pre-cut slices onto a paper plate and presents it to Shuichi. “I’ve been well. Rantaro and I have just come back from a trip to France. Paris is a beautiful city. If given the chance, you should really visit. And yourself? Last time we saw each other you were quite busy with a case.”

Shuichi laughs shortly. “Ah, yeah. I managed to wrap it up a few months ago. You were right, actually. The maid really did do it.”

Kiyo sighs sympathetically. “The burden of responsibility escapes no one it seems. It was nice seeing you again, Shuichi. Perhaps we can catch up later.”

Kokichi is still woefully in the dark, but Rantaro smiles with recognition. “Wait- is this the same Shuichi that-”

Kiyo nods, not allowing Rantaro to finish his statement as he looks Shuichi up and down. “The very same.” 

“Right, yes. Well,” and Shuichi coughs, eyes looking anywhere but at the three men as he grips his plate with white knuckles. “I’ll just… be going now.” 

Kokichi watches Shuichi take his plate over to a deserted table and sit down before hiding his face in his hands. Turning back to Kiyo and Rantaro, he can’t help but ask, “What the _fuck_ was that?”

Rantaro laughs, full-bodied and annoying as he serves Kokichi the other slice, still not the one that Kokichi wanted. “Maybe you should ask Shuichi.” 

“I didn’t realize that you two were acquainted, Kokichi.” Kiyo says. “I met Shuichi while he was working a case for a colleague of mine. He was quite taken with my knowledge of the history of detective fiction and theories on the bible’s Old Testament. We met up a few times to discuss such topics in depth.” 

Rantaro snorts. “Yeah, I bet.” 

_That's_ just about all Kokichi can stand to hear before he takes his inferior slice of cake and walks over to Shuichi, plopping down beside him and shooting him a grin when he looks up in shock. 

“You haven’t even touched your cake, yet! Were you waiting for lil’ ole me?” Kokichi asks through a mouthful of cake. “Well, I’m here now! So dig in!”

Shuichi takes a few small bites before Kokichi launches into his interrogation. “So! You never told me that you knew Kiyo!”

Shuichi swallows before answering. “Ah, well. It’s not like I was hiding it from you. I didn’t know that you… that you two knew each other.”

“We’re the best of friends, actually! He tells me everything, even if I don’t want to hear it because it’s totally boring. But… he’s never mentioned you to me, before. Why is that?” Kokichi drags the question out. 

“I… I don’t know? We weren’t terribly close. Before today I hadn’t talked to him in months. We met while I was working on a case, so our relationship was mostly professional.” Shuichi explains. 

Kokichi quirks a brow at him. “Mostly?”

Shuichi gently sets his fork down and turns slightly in his seat to better face Kokichi. “When I finished the case, Kiyo asked me on a date. We only dated casually. A few months at most. We both agreed we were better off as friends, and that was that.”

It's one of the few times in Kokichi's life that he doesn't actually know what to say. He'd been expecting an explanation similar to the one Shuichi has just provided to him, based on context clues alone, but actually hearing it from Shuichi out loud is making Kokichi's heart beat needlessly faster and his stomach rolls. He doesn't know how he feels. Elated to know that the shy looks Shuichi's been sending him could actually mean something? Terrified because he knows what an unfortunately great person Kiyo is and that he knows he could never match up- especially not with his limited experience in the romance department (experience that consists entirely of one round of truth or dare with Kiibo when they were sixteen)? Stupid because he's thinking about all this _right now_ when Shuichi's still waiting on a response with an increasingly deep worry line on his forehead, barely visible through the dumb emo bangs?

Kokichi settles on stupid. “Wow! I had no idea! You know, now that I think about it, I can totally see it. He has this ‘tall, dark and mysterious’ thing going on, huh?” Kokichi takes another bite of the cake and playfully jabs an elbow into Shuichi's side. “Maybe this is the universe giving you another chance with him. You should totally chat him up. I mean, did you see the way he looked you up and down earlier? He's still totally into you.”

Shuichi shakes his head. “I'm not really interested, as nice as he is. I, ah…” Shuichi takes a small bite of cake, and Kokichi notices that he's blushing faintly. “I'm already sort of interested in someone else.”

Kokichi isn't sure when his heart was replaced by a goddamn marching band, but the exchange must be recent with the way his chest pounds after hearing that. 

For once, it seems that Miu is doing Kokichi a favor, however unintentionally. He’s spared having to come up with an answer when she loudly announces that it’s time for Kiibo to open his presents. “C’mon! This is what you’ve been waiting for, isn’t it?” he asks Shuichi with a tilt of his head, and Shuichi smiles back at him and nods. 

Kokichi cups his hands around his mouth to be heard over the commotion of everyone relocating themselves into a circle around the gifts table. “Yoohoo! Kiibaby! You have to open _my_ present, first! It’s the best one, I promise!”

Miu shoots Kokichi a look that could kill a weaker man, but Kiibo just sighs. “I suppose it _would_ be best to get Kokichi’s gift out of the way early.”

“Nishishi.”

-

The surprise written across everyone’s face when Kiiboy opens the bag and pulls out a pretty pink scarf is enough to make Kokichi cackle with glee. “A… a scarf?”

“Don’t you just love it? Isn’t it the best present ever?” Kokichi asks, stifling his giggles as best as he can. Beside him, Shuichi’s eyes are focused on the gift bag, realizing there must be something else in it, given the weight. 

Kiibo’s face is blank for a second longer before he smiles and wraps the scarf around his neck. “This is actually… very thoughtful. Thank you, Kokichi.” He begins to set the bag aside when he stops. “Wait… is there something else in here?”

“Here we go.” Rantaro says from across the room.

When Kiibo pulls out the second gift, a small box wrapped in gold paper, it’s almost too much watching him slowly peel the tape off of one end. Like he’s expecting it to explode on exposure or something. Miu growls for him to get a move on, so Kiibo picks up the pace, tearing into the paper and revealing a small white box. 

“Oh my God.” Kiibo says, finally, face flooding with red as he openly stares at the picture on the box. Miu whistles in appreciation as she plucks the box from Kiibo’s hands. 

“Wait, what is it?” Rantaro asks, scooting closer to see.

“Somebody, cover Gonta’s eyes!” Tsumugi shouts. Gonta, blissfully unaware, covers his own eyes in compliance.

When Kokichi looks over at Shuichi to gauge his reaction, he’s met with the sight of those deep grey eyes looking back at him, with a shy smile on his face. “Was it everything you hoped it’d be?” he asks, referring to everyone’s reactions. 

Kokichi nods. “Couldn’t have gone better if you ask me. Which you did!”

“I was gonna have you open this when we got home, since I thought it’d be weird in front of your dad and all,” Miu begins as she thrusts her own wrapped gift into Kiibo’s lap. Kokichi had kind of forgotten Iidabashi was there, the old man always content to sit in dead quiet, but casting his eyes that way, he can see that the man has the faintest of smiles on his face. “But since Kokichi has absolutely zero fuckin’ shame, neither should I! So open it!”

Kiibo heaves a heavy sigh. His blush had just started to die down, too. “I suppose, if you insist.”

-

As uncomfortable as the party had been at times, when it’s over and Kokichi and Shuichi are returning to their apartments, Kokichi thinks that everything was a relative success. Shuichi liked his friends (surprisingly), Kiibo liked his gifts (probably), and Kokichi is riding high on every soft and sweet smile Shuichi directed his way. 

And as Kokichi and Shuichi stand in the hall between their apartments, both hesitant to unlock their doors, Kokichi thinks the only thing that would make the night better is if he didn’t have to actually say, “Goodnight.”

Shuichi is the first to break the silence. “I had a lot of fun, Kokichi. Thank you for inviting me.” 

“I’m glad you came, actually! Most of Kiibo’s parties are super dull, but you really spiced things up. I’ll have to bring you to everything now, you know?” 

Shuichi laughs, though he stifles it with his hand. “Sure, we’ll see about that.” Kokichi bounces on his toes as he watches Shuichi watch him, the silence looming over them for just a second too long. And then, Shuichi leans down and kisses Kokichi on the cheek. “I’ll see you at our next cooking lesson?”

Kokichi is dead. He must be. Still, dead or not, he smiles in such a way he feels like his face is splitting down the middle. “Yeah! Yep, definitely! See you then, Shuichi! Sweet dreams and goodnight!”

Shuichi laughs lightly again, not bothering to hide it this time as he twists his key in the lock and steps through the threshold of his dark apartment. “Goodnight, Kokichi.” and he shuts the door with a soft, _click!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuichi learns a little more about Kokichi, and they have another cooking lesson.

As it turns out, Shuichi and Kokichi don’t really see much of each other after the party. Shuichi still isn’t exactly sure what it is that Kokichi does for a living, but for the majority of the week he’s out of his apartment from morning until late evening, and no amount of interrogation over text has brought him any closer to an answer. 

It isn’t really a problem; Shuichi is quite busy on his own throughout the week with detective work and spending time with his uncle. The only real issue is that despite the short time they’ve known each other, Shuichi kind of misses when Kokichi isn’t around. Or, perhaps that isn’t entirely accurate. It’s just that whenever Shuichi has a free moment of time to himself, his mind wanders. And as of late, whenever it wanders, it wanders to thoughts of Shuichi’s neighbor. It’s maddening, the frequency of that particular train of thought. 

Still, every time Shuichi’s phone buzzes with another text from Kokichi, it takes every ounce of restraint he possesses to not immediately whip his phone out of pocket to read it. His uncle has already given him too many teasing looks and asked when he could meet Kokichi, embarrassingly enough. And yet, despite being relatively confident that his mild infatuation is returned, Shuichi hasn’t even asked the guy on a date. (Not to mention Kokichi doesn’t exactly strike Shuichi as the type to jump on the chance to meet the folks, it’s just a bit much.)

‘ _Shuichi has the day off tomorrow, right? Can we have our next cooking lesson then?_ ’ He’s a grown man, and yet Shuichi is reduced to a bundle of excited nerves when he reads over the text, phone hidden just under the table from his uncle’s view. He quickly types out an affirmative reply, and it’s mere seconds after the message is sent that he receives one back from Kokichi, filled with the heart emojis that punctuate his messages like the equine giggles that decorate his speech.

“Texting again?” his uncle says from his desk across the room. When Shuichi looks up, the man hasn’t turned away from the file he’s reading. 

Reluctantly, Shuichi turns off his phone. “Sorry.” 

“You don’t have to be sorry so long as you’ve made progress on that vandalism case. It’s been giving me a headache for a week.” With a sigh, he flips shut the file he was reading and rubs his temples. “I just don’t understand the point of it. And with no witnesses, I fear we aren’t any closer to uncovering the culprit.”

Shuichi nods. It is a bizarre case. Leading up to Halloween, several restaurants were in some way vandalized by an unknown suspect. The goal seems to be nonsensical- the vandalizations themselves aren’t particularly cruel and the results are fairly innocent and in the spirit of the holiday. Shuichi would normally chalk it up to a few teenagers having fun, but the way that they’ve gotten away with it scot-free is disconcerting. The mystery eats away at Shuichi as he looks over the picture of the latest hit again- a Kentucky Fried Chicken statue topped with a carved pumpkin. 

Vaguely, Shuichi recalls that he’d passed the restaurant when he’d gone with Kokichi to the party. And _now_ he was thinking about Kokichi again. Shuichi shakes his head. “About there being no witnesses… the shift manager that was working last week when the KFC was hit finally got back to me. None of the cameras caught what happened, but he says his cashier may have noticed a suspicious customer. Could have been the culprit casing the place? I’m going to be meeting with her on Monday.”

“Hmph. Then I suppose there’s nothing more we can do until then. It kills me to play the waiting game though.”

Shuichi is inclined to agree. The most the culprit will get is a slap on the wrist or maybe a fine, if they’re as slick with their words as they are with evading notice while doing their deeds. Still, it makes Shuichi uneasy to know that he’s just one conversation with an underpaid fast-food worker away from blowing the lid off this month long case- and yet it will have to wait a few more days. “At least now that October is over, the vandalisms have stopped.”

“Thank God for small miracles.”

-

After work, Shuichi stops at the grocery store to pick up a few odds and ends and the last of the ingredients he needs for his lesson. For this one, Kokichi has requested that what they’re making be a surprise. It’s a little daunting, because Shuichi still doesn’t have a good handle on what it is that Kokichi actually likes to eat, but he’s up to the challenge. 

When he returns to his apartment, he waits about thirty seconds before turning his phone back on and reading over the last text he’d gotten from Kokichi. 

‘ _I’m boooooooored._ ’

Shuichi smiles as he responds, ‘ _What do you want me to do about it?_ ’ before setting his phone down to put groceries away. 

‘ _Entertain me!_ ’

‘ _How should I do that?_ ’

The next response takes a little longer than the first, and Shuichi finishes putting things away and pours himself a glass of wine. He figures that he’ll start his weekend off by watching the newest episode of his favorite American cop show. It’s a slow process, pulling all the blankets and pillows from his bed to create a cocoon on his couch, but it seems worth it. 

‘ _I don’t know! It’s your job to figure it out!_ ’ Kokichi finally replies as Shuichi finishes setting up his couch for max comfort. 

It occurs to Shuichi that if Kokichi is in fact, “sooo bored,” then he must be home. After a moment of deliberation, Shuichi takes a drink of his wine and asks Kokichi if he’d like to come over. 

He gets his answer in the form of Kokichi ringing his doorbell as many times as possible, as per his usual favorite way to announce his presence. When Shuichi opens the door to let Kokichi in, Kokichi looks him directly in the eye and pushes the doorbell one more time. “There, I’m satisfied!” he says, and walks right past Shuichi into his apartment. “So what were you up to? Building a blanket fort?”

“Not exactly…” Shuichi answers. “I was just going to watch tv for a little while. We could do something else, if you’d rather.”

Kokichi pushes Shuichi’s blankets to one side of the couch and sits down. “No, that’s fine. I’m super curious to see what Shuichi likes to watch. I bet it’s all blood, guts, and gore for a hardcore detective like you, right? Welp, I’m definitely game!”

Shuichi supposes Kokichi isn’t exactly _wrong_ , Shuichi isn’t easily disturbed by all that given his career of choice and penchant for horror and crime thrillers, but he’d been planning on spending the night bingeing dumb comedies. He wonders if Kokichi will be disappointed by that. 

Instead, when the episode starts, Kokichi claps his hands. “Hey, I didn’t know you liked this show, too! I guess it makes sense though. You really go all out for the whole detective thing, don’t you?” 

Shuichi isn’t quite sure if that’s an insult or not, but he lets it slide. 

-

Somehow, over the course of watching mindless television, Kokichi has migrated from his side of the couch to Shuichi’s, even going so far as to usurp some of his pillows and wrap himself under the blanket. It’s… nice. Shuichi feels like he should say or do something, but he can’t bring himself to look away from the television, nervous about doing anything that might make Kokichi uncomfortable. They’re inches away from the definition of ‘cuddling’, so perhaps Shuichi’s overthinking things? It’s not as though it would be the first time. 

Aside from a few short laughs and Kokichi’s running commentary on whatever they’re watching, conversation between them has been minimal. There’s a mild disagreement on whether the criminal in the movie they’re watching is justified or not, (he’s not, and Kokichi is wrong, but that’s beside the point) and a small debate on what food they should order _does_ prompt Kokichi to whap Shuichi with one of the pillows, but otherwise everything is going so surprisingly well that Shuichi is just waiting for his stupid mouth to say something awkward or embarrassing and completely ruin the moment. 

When the movie ends, Kokichi slumps against Shuichi’s shoulder. “Wow, I can’t believe the cop did it. That wasn’t obvious in the first thirty minutes at all!”

Shuichi clicks back to the netflix home page. “I think it was meant to be obvious. It did focus on him a lot.” Shuichi turns his head slightly, not trying to disrupt Kokichi’s head on his shoulder, but also trying to get a look at his face. “What do you want to watch next?”

Kokichi tilts his head to meet Shuichi’s eyes, and of course, Shuichi is lost in a wave of violet. “Is it my turn again already? Maybe I’ll pick something completely different this time!” 

“If you want to.” Shuichi replies. 

Kokichi lifts his head and repositions himself to better face Shuichi as he looks up at him with a mischievous smile. “Actually, that was a lie, you know? I’m over watching tv. I know something way more fun we could do instead!” And the way he says it, it’s like he’s just thought of a new game. But the look he’s giving Shuichi makes him think the implication might be a bit different. 

“A-And what’s that?” Shuichi asks, mentally cursing the way his voice stutters, and how his eyes involuntarily flick down to the curve of Kokichi’s lips. When they rise back up to purple irises, Kokichi snickers. 

“Shuichi is a detective, isn’t he?” Kokichi questions almost to himself, voice low and face moving closer. “You can figure it out, can’t you?” Shuichi almost thinks he hears a level of frustration in Kokichi’s voice, and this close he can see the faintest of blushes starting just over the bridge of his nose and along his cheeks. 

Maybe it’s a horrible idea, and maybe he’s been reading the situation entirely wrong, but Shuichi takes a leap of faith and presses his lips against Kokichi’s. Immediately, he’s rewarded with Kokichi throwing his arms around Shuichi’s shoulders and pushing back, with almost too much pressure. When they pull back, Kokichi is red-faced and reluctant to remove his arms from Shuichi. “Yeah, that’s a good start!” Kokichi says, voice firm like he’s the one in control of the situation, and Shuichi agrees wholeheartedly. He feels so off balance around Kokichi, he’s more than willing to let him set the pace here. “Let’s try again!”

The second kiss is slow, languid and soft, and Shuichi’s hands move of their own accord to hold Kokichi and pull him just the slightest bit closer. Shuichi opens his mouth and his teeth clack against Kokichi’s before they settle into a light nibble against that pouty bottom lip that Shuichi adores. Kokichi sighs, light and airy, and it makes Shuichi’s head spin. Shuichi wants more, he wants-

And then his doorbell rings. 

They part immediately, and if Kokichi’s flustered expression is anything to go by, Shuichi’s sure he must look like a mess. Slowly, his mind catches up to the situation. “Um. I- I think the food is here.” 

For a second, Kokichi doesn’t respond, and then he grins broadly and runs a hand through his hair. “Excellent deduction there, Mister Detective! Hurry up and answer the door. I’m super hungry!” Leave it to Kokichi to recover in practically no time. 

Mood thoroughly ruined, Shuichi unbundles himself from the mass of blankets they’re wrapped together in to answer the door. 

-

“Sooooo,” Kokichi says as he dawdles in the hallway, spinning his key on his finger as he bounces on his toes. “That was kind of like a date, right? At least our second one, by my count.” 

“I’m not sure if I agree.” Shuichi replies. “If you’re counting cooking lessons, this is probably our third.”

Kokichi laughs. “Then it’s about time you finally put out!”

Shuichi flushes at the wording- it _was_ just a kiss after all! “I’d like to take you on a proper date, if I could? Anywhere you like.”

“Hmm, an enticing offer! But Mister Detective should know that I love surprises.” Then he leans up to press a quick kiss against Shuichi’s lips. “You can tell me what you’ve decided during our cooking lesson tomorrow. Don’t forget, okay?”

Shuichi nods. “I won’t forget. I promise.”

-

“Wow, we’re making noodles?” Kokichi exclaims as he looks at all the ingredients lined up. “I never would have guessed Shuichi would pick something so easy!”

Maybe it _is_ a little too easy for Kokichi, but he doesn’t really seem that put off by it as he moves things around as if he already knows what to do. He’s really just rearranging everything- apparently by height. When he’s satisfied, he finally turns to Shuichi without a word and smiles. 

“Do you know what the first step is?” Shuichi asks. 

Kokichi nods. “Pre-heat the uh… whatever. And wash our hands!” 

“Well, thankfully I already had the _whatever_ heating, so it should be about ready by now. But, you’re correct. Once we wash our hands, we can get started.” He replies, eyes flicking over to the preheating light for his stovetop. “Any idea what we should do next?” he asks when they’ve finished toweling dry. 

Kokichi hums in thought as he examines everything laid out on the countertop. “We should… definitely measure things out. Two tablespoons of everything, right?” he holds up a bottle of honey and squints at it, as if the answer can be found somewhere in the bear-shaped bottle. 

“Close.” Shuichi says as he pulls the smaller of the two pans set out closer to him. “We need to make the dressing. You’ll need to start with 3 tablespoons of Sesame oil, and one tablespoon of vegetable oil.”

Kokichi ends up overfilling the tablespoon when he adds the vegetable oil, and the result is it dripping down the sides of the spoon and onto the counter. It’s better than Shuichi’s floor, at any rate, so he lets it go. “Now add half a teaspoon of the crushed pepper.” Once that’s done, Shuichi places the pan on the burner and hands Kokichi a whisk to mix everything together. “That should take about three minutes, so I’ll measure out the honey and soy sauce, and you can add them when you’re done mixing.”

“You spoil me! You know I love nothing more than a good whisking.” Kokichi says as he mixes with probably more force than necessary. Shuichi turns away to measure out the honey and soy sauce, and when he looks back, it seems Kokichi is already tired of mixing, with the way his movements have slowed. Well, perhaps he should have warned him that three minutes of constant whisking at that pace was a bad idea, but then he wouldn’t have learned himself, would he? 

Kokichi takes the offered honey and soy sauce and adds them, frowning for a moment when the honey sticks to the bowl and he has to scrape it down with a rubber spatula. “‘Kay, what’s next?”

“You’ll need to whisk until all the honey is dissolved.” 

Kokichi groans, but does as he’s asked. “You already know I’m a master at whisking! I’m getting bored, Shuichi! When do we start the noodles?” 

“We can start the water boiling as soon as you’re done whisking, but that will take a bit. We can chop up the rest of the ingredients while it boils, though.” 

“Shuichi is finally going to give me that knife cutting lesson after all, huh? I’m so excited!” and Shuichi doesn’t doubt that in the least with the way Kokichi is a ball of energy again, frustration over whisking all but forgotten. When he’s finished mixing, Shuichi moves the pan out of the way to set the larger pot of water on the stove, and then he grabs two sharp knives and hesitantly hands one to Kokichi. 

“Alright. I suppose you can chop the cucumber and carrots, and I’ll cut the green onions and cilantro. Is that okay?” Shuichi asks as he moves around the vegetables. When Kokichi agrees, Shuichi starts thinly slicing the green onion in slow, practiced movements. Beside him, Kokichi chops haphazardly into the carrots, and when Shuichi spares them a glance, none of the cuts are the same size at all. “Would you like some help?” 

“Psh, I think I got- ow!”

Shuichi stops instantly. “Are you alright?” Kokichi clutches at his left hand, hiding it from Shuichi’s view. “Did you cut yourself?”

Kokichi snorts. “No way! Only an amateur would make a mistake like _that_.” But even as he says it, his eyebrows are drawn low, as if in pain. Or annoyance, maybe. 

Shuichi sets his knife down. “Let me see,” he commands, and for some reason, Kokichi listens and holds out his hand to reveal a cut oozing with blood. “Ah, don’t worry. I think I have some bandages in the bathroom.” and then he’s off to retrieve his meager first aid kit that’s been hardly used since his aunt insisted he buy one. He leads Kokichi over to the sink to wash the cut, and when it’s cleaned, it isn’t nearly as bad as it first looked. It’s a small nick at most, almost undeserving of a bandaid in the first place. 

Still, Shuichi spreads a tiny layer of antibacterial ointment over the cut and tops it with a navy blue bandage. “There, all better.” he says softly, chancing a look at Kokichi’s face. 

Kokichi smiles and waves his fingers, seemingly content with Shuichi’s handiwork. “Shuichi, you’re kind of like a mom, huh?”

“Ah, no. Definitely not.” Nevermind the implications of that, Shuichi sets the first aid kit aside. “Perhaps I should do the rest of the cutting?” 

“That’s no fun! I’m totally fine, see?” he protests, waving his injured hand in Shuichi’s face. “I can still cut things! I’m a master at cutting things, you know. I hurt myself on purpose to see what Shuichi would do, is all.”

Shuichi wonders if Kokichi really believes the things he says sometimes. More likely, Kokichi is saying it to comfort them both, in his own weird way. “Well, I’ll thank you not to hurt yourself again, if you could. But, if you really want to keep going, I suppose you can. Just be more careful?”

Kokichi sighs as if he’s really being pressed by it. “I guess, if it makes my beloved Shuichi happy.” 

Shuichi is sure he’s blushing from the return of that particular affectation, but he nods, and the two resume their cutting of vegetables as the pot of water on the stove hits a boil. “Ready to add the noodles?”

“Finally!” Kokichi nearly shouts as he tears the soba noodles open and pours them in easily. “How long will this take?”

“Not long, they cook pretty quickly, and we’ll be taking them out while they’re still al dente, anyway. Would you help me set the table?” Shuichi asks as he pulls down two bowls from a cabinet of dishes. 

When the table is set and the noodles are done, Shuichi tosses everything together- the noodles and dressing and vegetables mixing together into a nice salad which he divvies up between them before taking a seat across from Kokichi. 

“Ready to see how it turned out?” he asks, holding up his set of chopsticks. 

“Mhm! I bet it’s worthy of national attention. Maybe my organization will turn away from a life of crime and become top chefs!” he says, but still Kokichi hesitates, the noodles right at his lips. 

Shuichi smiles at him. “Go on three?”

Kokichi laughs and nods, watching Shuichi raise his own chopsticks to his mouth. “One…” Shuichi starts.

“Two, three!” Kokichi says, shoving the bite into his mouth before Shuichi has recognized the words, and he hurries to match Kokichi’s bite. It’s good, though Shuichi considers that next time he makes this recipe that he should add more crushed chili pepper. He’d been a bit nervous about how Kokichi would handle the spice, so he’d lowered the suggested amount to only a half teaspoon. 

Aside from the small knife mishap, Shuichi thinks it’s a successful lesson, so he voices that thought. “Are you sure you’re actually bad at cooking? Or has that been a lie?” he asks. 

“What? You think I lied about being bad at cooking and set my apartment on fire on purpose?” Kokichi retorts as he slurps a noodle noisily. 

“I suppose not. Maybe you just have a natural talent for it. Did you try cooking very much before moving here?” Shuichi asks. 

Kokichi shakes his head. “Nope! I’ve never needed to. The members of my organization usually do everything for me, after all.”

“Is that right?” Shuichi takes a small bite, savoring the earthy taste of the soba. “You haven’t told me a lot about your organization. What’s it called?” 

Kokichi hums. “Unfortunately, I can’t tell you that. It’s a _secret_ organization, you know? If I went around telling everyone everything about it, it wouldn’t be much of a secret, would it?” 

“You’ve been pretty open about it’s existence thus far, though.” And it was eating Shuichi alive, the mystery of the clown masks and all white suits and how it all played into this enigma of a man sitting across from him. “Telling me a little more won’t hurt, will it?” 

Kokichi twirls his chopsticks around in his bowl. “It won’t hurt _me_ , no, but I can’t exactly tell a detective about my evil criminal organization. Because then I’d have to kill you!” He punctuates the statement by shoving a bite of noodles into his mouth. He chews quickly, swallowing before continuing. “And I don’t really want to have to go through all that. I like you too much.” 

“Ah, well that’s a relief.” Shuichi simpers. “Is there really no way I can find out more?”

“Well,” Kokichi starts, mouth curling into a devious smile as he raises his injured finger to his lips. “You could always join my organization. We’re ten thousand members strong already, but there’s always room for someone else who knows their way around the legal system.”

Shuichi laughs and finishes his bowl. “Hard pass.” 

“Hmph. Suit yourself! Although I think you’d look really good in all white. You wear too much black, honestly. It’s like you’re constantly in mourning.” Kokichi replies, leaning back in his seat, having finished eating. “Want me to help clean up? I promise I won’t break anything. Probably.”

Kokichi thankfully keeps his word and doesn’t break anything, but when Shuichi offers for him to stay a little longer, he declines. “I have a meeting with DICE, so I’ve gotta skedaddle.” he says, lingering in the doorway. 

“DICE? Is that your organization’s name?” Shuichi asks, heart speeding up just a little.

Kokichi lightly smacks his own forehead. “Did I say DICE? I don’t think I did. Well, anyway! I better get going. I’ll see you for our date tomorrow, Shuichi!”

“Wait,” Shuichi says, grabbing onto Kokichi’s sleeve as he tries to make his exit. “Didn’t you want me to tell you where we’re going?”

“Nah, I think I like the suspense!” Kokichi replies before leaning up to kiss Shuichi. Shuichi’s just starting to melt into the kiss when Kokichi abruptly pulls back. “Okay, I’ve really gotta go now. Not lying, ‘kay?”

Shuichi nods. “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye-bye, Shuichi!” Kokichi calls as he skips down the hall to the elevator. He turns back for a second as he presses the call button and waves exaggeratedly and blows Shuichi a kiss. Shuichi smiles and waves back, feeling smitten as he retreats back into his apartment and locks the door. With a content but heavy sigh, Shuichi leans against the door for a moment before he pulls away to retrieve his laptop from the coffee table where he’d left it. 

Settling into his bed and opening Google, Shuichi types in, “DICE organization”. 

And is immediately met with 73,700,000 results.


	6. Chapter 6

An aquarium is definitely not Kokichi's first guess for where Shuichi would take him for their first official date, (that would be a bookstore, closely followed by dinner and a movie, and then there was the stereotypical coffee date option… he'd given it a lot of thought) but he isn't the least bit disappointed. 

He's actually very excited and only kind of nervous as Shuichi shyly takes his hand and they enter the aquarium. It's blissfully empty given that it's early on a Sunday, and Kokichi is pretty pleased by that fact. It also seems to set Shuichi at ease, as he sighs minutely after his eyes finish scanning the room.

“Is there a specific fish you want to see first? Or would you rather we just walk around aimlessly?” Shuichi asks as he looks over a poster that asks you to Please Don't Tap the Glass. (Kokichi's fingers itch to tap, just once- just to get it out of his system. He restrains himself, but only just.) 

“You grabbed one of those tour guide papers, right? Shuichi should take me on a tour, then!” Kokichi suggests, gesturing to the booklet Shuichi had picked up on their way in. 

Shuichi flips through the introductory pages and stops on the first fish listed. “I might butcher some of their scientific names, for the record. I’ve never even heard of a ‘Resplendent Anthias’ before.” Shuichi’s eyes flit around the page before he looks up to pinpoint the fish. “Oh, I think I see one of them.”

Kokichi tries to follow Shuichi’s line of sight to the tank closest to them, but if there really _are_ fish inside of it, Kokichi doesn’t see any. “Where?” he asks. “Shuichi, make the fish show itself!”

“It’s right there, see? Hiding behind that little plant.” And this time, Shuichi points it out- a tiny pink fish with yellow around its eyes and along its tail. Clearing his throat, Shuichi paraphrases from the booklet. “It originates in Indonesia and can grow to be about three inches long. This one is a girl, since those are the ones that typically have that color scheme. The males usually have clear tails.” 

Kokichi watches the fish swim out from behind the plant just to duck into a little artificial cave, so that only the tip of its nose is still visible. “It’s super shy, huh? Kinda like you, Shuichi.” 

“I wouldn’t say I’m _shy_ …” Shuichi mumbles. “I suppose I should try to find a fish that reminds me of you, then. The next one listed is a… Caracanthus maculatus?” Kokichi giggles at the pronunciation. Looking back at Shuichi, his brows furrow in concentration as he reads over the booklet. “It’s more commonly called a ‘Spotted Coral Croucher’. And, it’s venomous, so it probably won’t be hiding since it has no real reason to fear being out in the open.” 

Kokichi hums as he skips over to the next tank, and his eyes land on a grey fish with reddish-brown spots, resting with a dumb, fishy look on its face at the bottom of the tank. “It’s this one right? The dumb looking one?”

Shuichi frowns, but when he looks at the fish, he nods. “Apparently, if you’re stung by the spines on its body, it can cause a reaction similar to that of a bee sting.”

Kokichi considers the fish for a second longer before he shrugs and turns away. “So, is it deadly then? Does this fish have a kill count?”

Shuichi glances down at the booklet. “Well, it is a carnivore.” 

Kokichi gasps loudly and throws a hand over his heart. “And they let this maniac out in _public_? Shuichi, you gotta arrest that fish! Do your job, Mister Detective!” It elicits a cute laugh from Shuichi as he shakes his head. “Can detectives actually arrest people? Have you arrested people before?”

Shuichi hesitates for a moment before answering. “Yes, detectives can arrest people, though it isn’t common. Usually we have a uniformed officer do it, but… well, detectives have the ability. I, personally, haven’t arrested anyone, and I’m _not_ going to have my first arrest be a _fish_. Plus, I don’t think I can actually make any arrests when I’m not actually working.”

“Oh,” Kokichi replies. “That’s disappointing. But, does that mean you have your own pair of handcuffs?” Shuichi nods. “Wow! You’ll have to show me them sometime, Shuichi!”

Kokichi is absolutely _thrilled_ with the light dusting of red that blooms on Shuichi’s face following that statement.

-

Hand in hand, they come to stop in front of the last tank in the blue tinged hall, and Kokichi waits mostly patiently while Shuichi reads over the last page of his informational guide. He doesn’t need Shuichi to point out the fish- two black and white spotted marine fish with orange faces and mouths agape swim alongside each other in clear open view. “They’re Amphiprion ocellaris’s, or ‘Clownfish’.”

Kokichi’s eyes light up. “A clownfish? I thought those guys were supposed to be orange and white! That surgeonfish back there looked just like Dory, you know?” The plaque posted by the tank explains that the two are a bonded pair of Black Snowflake Clownfish, and Kokichi traces a finger lightly against the glass of the tank, delighting in the way one of the fish swims over to follow the pattern. 

“I guess the color depends on the species. This says some of them can be yellow or red, too.” 

Kokichi looks back at Shuichi with a grin, and Shuichi smiles back before turning his attention back to the fish. “You know, I think this fish reminds me of you.”

“Is Shuichi calling me a clown?” Kokichi arches a brow at him. “Do you think I’m a joke?” 

Evidently, Shuichi has gotten great at calling Kokichi’s bluffs, so he doesn’t even look away from the tank as he replies, no hint of apology in his voice. “How could I not associate you with a black and white clownfish? You’re the one who picked your organization’s uniforms, aren’t you?” 

“No way! I held a vote. I’m a very democratic dictator, you know? Checker-print scarves won over green ascots. That’s no fault of mine!” 

The look Shuichi fixes him with is entirely unimpressed, but the hint of a smile is there. “But, that’s a lie! Fashion is my true calling in life, and the minimalist color scheme is pretty snazzy, if I say so myself. Plus, clowns are just cool, you know? They strike fear into the hearts of the weak _and_ they get away with the best pranks.” 

Shuichi nods. “I didn’t realize you held such a high opinion of clowns.”

“Well, why wouldn’t I be respectful of such a respectable profession? Especially when I graduated top of my class in clown school. It’s hard to beat out the average Bozo and Bubbles that comes along from their Mommy and Daddy’s circus.” Kokichi says, watching Shuichi’s expression carefully. 

“Clown school?” 

Kokichi laughs. “Well, duh! You can’t just up and decide to be a professional clown, you know? It takes rigorous training and dedication.” 

“What about DICE?” Shuichi asks. “Are they professional clowns?”

“Nope, it’s just an aesthetic thing for them.”

“Wait,” Shuichi says, hand coming up to cover his mouth as he thinks. “Are you really a clown? What does your organization do, if they _aren’t_ clowns?” 

Kokichi rolls his eyes and tugs on Shuichi’s hand, trying to get him moving towards the entrance. “So many lame questions. Didn’t I already tell you that they commit heinous crimes? The clown thing is just a day job to keep suspicion off of me while we do our evil scheming.” 

“Okay. So. You think the best way to not get noticed for your crimes is to be a clown. With an organization of criminals that also dress like clowns.”

“Or maybe,” Kokichi snickers at the way Shuichi’s eyebrows raise, “It’s all a lie! Who can tell, you know?” 

For a moment, Shuichi stares blankly back at Kokichi, but then he smiles and chuckles. “You’re insufferable.” 

“Flattery will get you nowhere, Mister Detective.” 

-

When they finally leave the aquarium, Kokichi is the proud owner of a shark-shaped balloon, and Shuichi ties the string to it around Kokichi’s wrist so that it doesn’t fly away. As they walk across the parking lot back to Shuichi’s car, Kokichi swings his left hand so the balloon bounces and bobs along with the movement. “Did you have anything else planned for today?” Shuichi asks as he opens the passenger side door for Kokichi. 

“Nope!” he replies as he slides into the seat and tugs the balloon by it’s string so that it, too, makes it inside the vehicle before Shuichi closes the door. Shuichi gets in and starts the car before he speaks again. 

“There’s a small park near here, with an ice cream vendor. Would you like to go on a walk through it with me?” he asks it so hesitantly, Kokichi has to wonder why Shuichi would think for even a second that he’s going to say ‘no’.

“You’re really pulling out all the stops for this date, huh? As you should: it takes an awful lot to impress me. I’ll consider the ice cream a tribute to me and my power!” 

And what a tribute it is! At the park, there’s a few menacing clouds springing up in the sky, but Shuichi reassures him that the weather should hold up as he pays for Kokichi to have three decadent scoops of ice cream on his cone: coconut, cotton candy, and chocolate. Shuichi almost manages to hide his cringe of disgust as Kokichi bites directly into the top scoop of pink and blue ice cream.

The shark balloon swings just behind them as they follow a stone path around the park, taking in the fresh air and admiring the peaceful scenery. They reach the end of the path, and it circles around a big, grand fountain that lightly mists their skin when they sit on the rim of it, facing each other. Kokichi thinks about how fun it might be to dye the water, or fill it with bubble solution. 

As he finishes the last of his ice cream cone, he dips his free hand into the cold water and then flicks it at Shuichi, who gapes, mock offended. “Rude.” Shuichi says with a huff. 

“That’s me!” Kokichi agrees with a laugh as he casts a look back up at those daunting grey clouds. “Are you really, _really_ sure it isn’t going to rain? Shuichi wouldn’t lie to me, would he?” 

Shuichi looks up, too, with a frown. “Well, I wouldn’t lie intentionally. When I checked the weather for the day, it said it would be clear and sunny all day.”

“Hmm.” Kokichi shrugs. “If the weather not holding up is the _worst_ thing to happen today, then I consider this a successful date. Good job, Shuichi! I’m really gonna have to do my best to surprise you on the next one!”

“I’m glad you’ve enjoyed yourself. I wasn’t so sure if you’d have fun today or not.” Shuichi says. “If you want, we can head back now.”

The rain doesn’t start until the final stretch of the walk back to Shuichi’s car, and then Kokichi is squealing from the icy precipitation and tugging Shuichi into a run. It’s just a sprinkle at first, but when they’re safely inside the car, it begins pouring down, and Kokichi cackles at the force of it. “We’re going to get drenched when we get out!”

Shuichi laughs and agrees as he starts the car. “Maybe it’ll let up a bit by the time we make it back.”

-

It doesn’t, and Shuichi and Kokichi make a mad dash across the parking lot to the complex to try to survive the onslaught. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work, and they stand in the downstairs lobby waiting for the elevator to arrive while soaking wet, balloon bouncing miserably between them. 

They ride up the elevator in silence, sneaking small glances and smiles at each other as they ascend, and Kokichi all but jumps at the invitation to go inside Shuichi’s apartment for soup- after he’s had a quick shower and dries his hair. 

Shuichi’s lips quirk up a bit when he sees Kokichi enter his apartment. “Your hair looks different after it’s just been washed.” He comments as he shuts the door behind Kokichi. “I’m not used to seeing it flat like that.” 

“It only sticks out because I play with it all the time. It helps me think, you know? There’s science behind it, probably.” Kokichi follows Shuichi into the kitchen, where he begins pulling out ingredients and bowls. 

“It’s cute,” Shuichi says, and oh, there goes that fluttering in his stomach. Butterflies, he thinks, and the thought briefly brings Gonta to his mind, so he laughs. 

“Is this a cooking lesson? Or is Shuichi going to be serving me?”

Shuichi sets the temperature for his stove top before he answers. “Do you want it to be a lesson? I suppose it could be one either way, but if you’d rather watch than participate, that’s fine, since we didn’t plan this.”

Kokichi rolls the onion that Shuichi had gotten out under his hand along the counter. “It’s no fun just watching the action, right? What kind of soup are we making?” 

“Miso soup. Is that alright?” Shuichi asks as he takes the onion from Kokichi just to set it back down and grab a pot. Kokichi snatches the onion back up and tries to juggle it, but juggling only really works when you have three or more of something, so he’s mostly just passing it back and forth between his hands. 

“Sounds good!” Kokichi agrees, watching as Shuichi fills the pot with water and sets it on the heating burner. 

Shuichi grabs a knife out of one of his drawers and starts to hand it to Kokichi, but he pauses. “If I let you chop up the onions, do you promise to not cut yourself again?” 

“Oh, Shuichi. Ye of little faith.” Kokichi takes the knife and spins it in his fingers, much to Shuichi’s chagrin. “So I just cut up this whole onion?”

“Ah, just half of it, but cut up all of the green onion. I’ll measure out the shiitake broth, dashi, and wakame.” He says, picking up a measuring spoon.

“What about the miso?” Kokichi asks as he cuts the onion in half and slides one of the halves to the side and out of his way. 

“The miso paste gets added last so that the temperature of the water doesn’t kill the, ah, organisms that make it healthy.” 

It makes sense, Kokichi supposes. Shuichi really has his life together, eating healthy and avoiding sugar. He’s like a real adult. Kokichi can’t imagine preferring vegetables over sweets in any way, shape, or form, but then again, Shuichi is also apparently the kind of person who regularly goes to the gym. “Shuichi is way too worried about his figure, eating all this healthy food all the time.” 

Shuichi shrugs. “I don’t think I’m overly concerned with it. I just tend to put on weight easily, so it’s better if I don’t overindulge myself.” 

“Indulging yourself can be fun, though.” Kokichi encourages as he finishes chopping the onions. “Is the water ready?”

It is, so they add the onions, along with the teaspoon and a half of shiitake broth powder, teaspoon of dashi, and teaspoon of wakame to the boiling pot. Shuichi gives it a quick stir, and then leaves it to cook as he hands Kokichi a clean tablespoon. “Can you measure out two and a half tablespoons of miso now?”

“Will the broth take long? I’m really hungry, you know! It’s rude to keep your guests waiting.” Kokichi scoops the miso paste into a small mixing bowl. 

“You can’t be _that_ hungry. You just had ice cream not too long ago.” Shuichi says. “But it shouldn’t take long, we’re just waiting for the onions to get soft, and then we can turn off the heat and ladle some of the water into the bowl with the miso.”

“Why? Can’t we just add the miso straight into it?” 

“No, the miso needs to be dissolved before it can be added to the broth. Help me wash up these few dishes?” Shuichi asks. It’s barely anything, just the knife and a few measuring utensils, but Kokichi obliges and intentionally bumps his side against Shuichi’s as they clean. It doesn’t take long, but it passes the time while waiting for the broth to be ready, and when they’re done, Shuichi carefully ladles the hot water into the bowl of miso and lets Kokichi mix it until it’s dissolved. 

After a quick stir, the miso is mixed in along with the broth, and the soup is ready. Kokichi slurps his soup gratefully, humming in satisfaction at the salty taste. It’s comforting and filling and the perfect way to top off the rainy end to a nearly perfect date, and Kokichi is so _content_ in this moment he doesn’t know how to handle it. 

Across the table, Shuichi sighs. “It’s good. Before you know it, you’ll have an entire repertoire of recipes you can make by yourself.” 

Kokichi stops himself before he says that it wouldn’t be as fun without Shuichi there guiding him. It seems like just too much to say it out loud. 

-

Monday brings another day of work, and a good morning text from Shuichi. It instantly brings up memories of the day before, and Kokichi lingers in bed just as long as it takes him to replay the end of their date and the goodbye kiss they’d shared before Kokichi had returned to his own apartment across the hall in his head. 

He’s smitten, and he knows it, and he _hates_ it. He’s never felt like this before, about anyone. Kokichi doesn’t get crushes or fall head over heels for people, he’s just not that kind of person. And yet here he is, smiling like a lovesick school girl at a dumb text Shuichi sent while probably half awake before he’d gone to work for the day. Kokichi shakes his head and pockets his phone as he gets ready for a day of performing. 

Luckily for him, Kokichi is working a child’s birthday party today, and his partner is even one of the more tolerable magicians, a tiny little thing who calls herself The Amazing Himiko. Kokichi had gone out for drinks with her once after work, at her suggestion, since they got along well enough. It hadn’t ended _badly_ , but Himiko’s girlfriend was enough of a deterrent for him to keep their relationship strictly professional. The apology cookies Himiko gave him afterwards were nice enough to make up for the way Tenko had flipped him through the air like a pancake. 

Himiko is in the middle of a card trick that is absolutely blowing the minds of the kids in attendance when Kokichi’s phone goes off in his pocket. He flushes when all eyes land on him, but he doubts it’s visible through the thick white greasepaint on his face. He hadn’t realized he’d forgotten to turn it off this morning. 

“Silly Bozo, looks like he forgot to turn his phone off!” Himiko says, drawing laughs from the children. She shoots him a small frown as she finishes her trick, to the ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ of the easily impressed. In a whisper, she addresses him, “I can handle them for a minute while you go turn your phone off. But get back here before the parents come back to check on us.”

Kokichi grins at her and salutes before quietly slipping away before any of the kids notice to check his phone. It’s a text from Shuichi, interestingly enough. He decides to read it before he shuts off his phone, but the message makes his stomach drop. 

‘ _I need to talk to you about something important. Are you busy right now?_ ’

How important is ‘important’? Kokichi bites his lip as he considers his reply, stopping only when he realizes he’s getting red paint on his teeth. 

‘ _I’m never too busy for my beloved Shuichi! Except for right now. Can it wait until I get home?_ ’ he sends the message before he can overthink it, and then his stomach twists as he waits for the reply. He spares a glance at the backdoor of the house they’re at, hoping Shuichi replies before he gets caught texting on the job. 

‘ _I suppose. Let me know when you get home._ ’

With dread comfortably settling inside him, Kokichi shuts his phone off and returns to Himiko’s side. 

With a smile, she turns to Kokichi and offers him her hat. “This is a regular hat, right Bozo? Nothing special at all about it.”

Kokichi swallows down his fear and puts on a grin, taking the hat and examining it exaggeratedly. “Yep, nothing interesting about this hat at all!” 

-

Somehow, Kokichi makes it through the rest of the party without anyone seeming to realize that he’s stressed out beyond belief. His mind keeps spinning with possibilities for what Shuichi needs to talk to him about, and it’s all he can do not to turn around and run when he makes it back to the complex and spots Shuichi’s fancy fucking car in the parking lot. 

Kokichi waits until he’s in his apartment to text Shuichi and let him know he’s home. Instead of Shuichi telling him to come over, there’s the ring of his own doorbell, and Kokichi wants to puke. 

“Well, don’t just _stand_ there. Come in, Shuichi!” he says, letting him in and closing the door behind him. For a moment, Shuichi stands in the middle of Kokichi’s living room and looks around, taking in all his second hand furniture and life size cardboard cutout of Rantaro. He turns to Kokichi with a quizzical expression, and Kokichi shrugs and puts his hands behind his head with a smile. “So! What did you need to talk to me about?”

Shuichi averts his eyes, looking down at the ugly beige carpet of Kokichi’s living room before he quietly replies. “Could you tell me what kind of crimes your organization commits?”

Uh, what?

“The illegal kind, obviously.” Kokichi says, flatly. Shuichi keeps his eyes trained on the ground, and his stupid emo hair hides his expression as he shakes his head. 

“I know that, but what do you guys _do_?”

“Why are you asking? What is this about?” Kokichi counters, crossing his arms. 

Shuichi exhales loudly and raises his head, eyes locking on Kokichi’s. “I did some research on your organization. On DICE.”

At that, Kokichi smiles and straightens his back. “And what did you find?”

Shuichi scoffs. “Nothing. All search results turned up information about the Dice Foundation and how game pieces are made. I couldn’t find a trace of anything about your group or what you’ve done, there’s no records of your crimes, your members, or anything.”

Kokichi laughs shortly. “Well, I told you it’s a secret organization. Everyone that knows about us gets dispatched before they can leak anything.”

“Except for me.” Shuichi says. 

Kokichi shrugs. “So what? You couldn’t find anything.”

“No, that’s not true. I couldn’t find anything directly linked to your group, but I did find something. Have you ever heard of an American cartoon called, ‘DICE’?”

Kokichi feels his blood turn to ice, but he tilts his head and twirls a purple tendril of hair around his injured finger. “I didn’t realize Shuichi liked cartoons! Maybe we’re more alike than I thought!”

A light smile settles on Shuichi’s face. “I haven’t watched it before myself, but the name stood out to me on the search results. At first, I thought I might be wasting my time reading about it. It’s about a group of orphans that work together to help people. Not exactly secret criminal organization level. But, then I read about the group that opposes them- and something clicked.”

Kokichi doesn’t reply as he waits for Shuichi to finish his explanation. “They call themselves B-DICE, and they wear disguises and antagonize the heroes and try to discredit them. That seems more like an evil organization, and coincidentally, the members of that group have a strong clown motif.” 

“That is a coincidence!” Kokichi cackles. “I wonder where they got an idea like that?” 

“Who knows?” Shuichi asks. “I kept wondering after I read it… what would a criminal organization composed of clowns actually do, if it existed? And… today, I guess I got my answer. DICE committed that string of restaurant vandalisms, didn’t they?”

So _that_ is what this whole thing is about. Kokichi is baffled; he hadn’t expected them to get caught at all. They’ve certainly never been caught before pulling their pranks or petty thefts, but of course, someone must have slipped up somewhere and now- 

Now Kokichi is going to have to take the consequences for them. There’s no way he’s just going to let a member of his group, a member of his _family_ , get in trouble for this. Whatever the consequences, a fine, a stay in jail, Kokichi knows he’s cornered, but he’ll accept it. That doesn’t mean he’ll let up easily, though. 

“That’s quite an accusation! Does Shuichi have any proof?”

“Well, there’s the circumstantial evidence. Vandalisms fit in well with the scheme of a prankster, especially the ones that have been committed. They’re all so tame and… innocent. No real property damage, it’s just a crime for fun. That seems right up your alley.” Shuichi answers. 

“Hmm, but that’s not enough to do anything with, is it?” Kokichi replies. “It kind of sounds like Mister Detective just has a bunch of half-baked theories. I’ll forgive you though, since you’re so cute.” 

Shuichi laughs, and shakes his head. “They aren’t half-baked at all, and coupled with the account by the cashier working at the last place you hit, I think I can paint a pretty good picture of what happened. She described seeing someone who easily matches the way that your organization dresses, so-”

Kokichi cuts him off, throwing his hands out to present his wrists to Shuichi. “Welp, I guess this is the end of the line! Cuff me, Shuichi! I confess!” 

Shuichi makes a face, disbelief easily readable. “You what?”

“I confess! It was me! I planned it all, I cased the place and cut the cameras, and then I dropped a pumpkin on ol’ Colonel Sanders’ head. If I could, I’d like to request a cell to myself, minimal humidity and with padded walls, please and thank you.” 

There’s silence, and Shuichi raises his brow when Kokichi doesn’t lower his exposed wrists. “You’re telling me you, and you alone, were the one who did all those vandalisms. No one helped you?” Kokichi nods. “You don’t really expect me to believe that, do you?”

“A real leader knows how to set an example. How can my organization trust me if I’m not willing to get my hands dirty? So yes, you should believe me. I did it, just me. So,” and Kokichi takes a step closer. “Are you gonna take me down to the station? Or do you want to torture a little more out of me? I’m sure you can find something around here to tie me up with if you’re so hesitant to cuff me. But, fair warning, I might enjoy it.”

Shuichi runs a hand through his hair and exhales loudly. “You really want me to do this? You want _me_ to bring you in?”

“Mister Detective is just doing his job, right? And I _did_ say I wanted a chance to see your handcuffs, didn’t I?” 

Shuichi shakes his head. “This is absurd. This is…”

Kokichi agrees completely. “Hey, Shuichi. When I get out of lockup, where do you want to go for our next date?”

“I’m _arresting_ you, and you _still_ want to date me?” Shuichi exclaims, pulling out a pair of shiny silver cuffs. Kokichi smiles at the sight of them, even as his heart speeds up. DICE was not going to be happy, but it sure would be fun to tell Kiibo and Rantaro about this. Kokichi tries to imagine the faces they might make when he tells them, to stem the overwhelming tension enveloping his body as he knows he’s mere seconds away from the cuffs being clamped around his wrists. 

“Well, Shuichi can always say no.”

“Somehow, I don’t think I will.” he replies, and Kokichi feels the return of the marching band in his chest as Shuichi takes a step closer and clicks the handcuffs around Kokichi’s wrists.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idek what to say here, lmao. oh! all the stuff about DICE? completely true! you can read more about D.I.C.E (or DNA Integrated Cybernetic Enterprises) here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D.I.C.E. 
> 
> the last chapter should be up by Monday, and once again, thank you to everyone who has read this fic, dropped a kudos, and/or left me a lovely comment. Working on this fic has been so much fun and I'm glad so many of you have enjoyed it so far!!


	7. Chapter 7

Ultimately, Kokichi gets released after being held for a little over 24 hours, and he has a court date set for two weeks later. He gives Shuichi this news over the phone while Shuichi sits at his desk across from his _unfairly_ amused uncle. When Shuichi disconnects, he wills his face not to blush as he states he'll be going out for lunch. His uncle just _laughs_. 

Shuichi has had a bit of time to clear his head at this point, and he's certain he made the right decision. He couldn't have just let Kokichi get away, and luckily, Kokichi seemed to get that. 

But, Kokichi committed a crime (well, multiple counts of the same crime), and crimes have consequences, real consequences that Kokichi is going to have to deal with. And Kokichi had said he wouldn't mind seeing Shuichi after all this, but Shuichi has reasonable doubts there. A fine alone can be a financial nightmare, and though Shuichi doubts Kokichi would have to have a stay in jail, there is the possibility of also needing to some type of community service. Shuichi doesn't expect that after dealing with those consequences Kokichi will still be so keen on the idea of being around him.

But Kokichi had been caught (barely, just barely. If Shuichi hadn't known by the description alone “all white clothes, creepy lil clown mask, _ugh_.” after so many times he's nearly bumped into DICE in the hallway to his apartment, there’d have been no leads, no arrests, no _anything_ because Kokichi really knew how to get away with a crime. It almost made Shuichi think that maybe Kokichi didn't actually do it, that maybe he planned it all to a T but, could he really have done everything himself? And that makes Shuichi feel ten times worse because that would mean Kokichi was relatively innocent and punished for _nothing_.) and he was going to be punished like every other criminal, and Shuichi couldn't play favorites just because he thinks his neighbor that he's casually dating is _cute_.

At any rate, this line of thinking continues on seemingly unending loop as Shuichi pulls up to the restaurant he normally meets Maki and Kaito at for lunch. Shuichi desperately hopes that they're too busy to leave work, because it's too late to tell Kokichi 'sorry, I know I said we should meet here, but I just realized my friends come here all the time and I don't want you to meet them after I just arrested you. Which they don't know about yet.’ 

Shuichi enters the restaurant after a few steadying breaths, and his eyes find Kokichi's after a moment of scanning the room. Kokichi grins, wide and joyful as he waves over the stack of coffee creamer he's formed into a castle. Shuichi slips into the booth across from him with a nervous smile. “Ah, hello.” 

Kokichi turns his eyes back to his creation, motioning towards it as he says, “This is a scaled model of my estate in Uzbekistan. I'm trying to decide if there should be a moat filled with alligators around it, or if that's too cheesy. What do you think?”

Shuichi blinks. “I, uh, I'm not sure?”

Kokichi gives the reply a, “hmm,” and a nod before he flicks one coffee creamer in the middle out of place, and the entire castle crumbles. 

“Why-”

“Sometimes it's just fun to tear down something you've worked super hard on!” Kokichi laughs, and the statement unsettles Shuichi a little. “Cooking is the same way, you know? You work really hard to make something great, and then you just destroy it. That's dumb, isn't it?”

Shuichi isn't even sure what they're talking about right now. “I guess?” He starts gathering up the creamer into a pile that he pushes to one side of the table, out of the way. Across from him, Kokichi props his head on his hand and smiles innocently.

“But Shuichi is being dumb, too, right?” 

Shuichi frowns. “What?”

“You're sitting there being all awkward and emo because you think I'm mad at you, right? But I _told_ Mr. Detective he was only doing his job. I really don't care, okay? So you can stop moping. I still want to kiss your dumb face and have cooking lessons, and that's not a lie, either!” Kokichi says, blush only arriving at the tail end of his words. Shuichi doesn't bother to hide his smile as a wave of relief hits him. 

“I'm happy to hear that, I’m-”

Kokichi cuts him off. “Hey, is that stupid goatee guy?”

Shuichi absolutely does not want to turn around to confirm it, but he doesn't need to when Kaito and Maki are suddenly there by his side. “Hey, sorry we're late, bro! Traffic sucks.” Kaito says in lieu of a proper greeting, and beside him, Maki is eyeing Kokichi with an untrusting glare. 

Shuichi clears his throat. “Kaito, Maki, I’d like you to meet Kokichi.” 

Kaito finally seems to realize someone else is there. “Oh yeah, hi! You're the guy Shuichi's been telling us about right? Cool!” Kaito slides into the seat next to Shuichi, and Maki shoots him a betrayed look as she tensely sits beside Kokichi. 

Shuichi really hopes this lunch doesn't end badly.

“Shuichi talks about me, huh? How sweet, I bet it just kills you to be away from me, right?” Kokichi laughs. Shuichi starts to mumble something about that being untrue, but he's interrupted by a waitress coming to bring them menus. Shuichi is sure that he's going to get the same thing he usually does, and he expects at least Maki to do the same, but he politely pretends to look over the choices while Kaito and Kokichi loudly consider what to get. 

By the time Maki and Shuichi have both ordered and gotten their drinks, Maki is clearly annoyed by Kokichi and Kaito's mutual indecision brought on by Kokichi making Kaito second guess his choices. “If you two don't stop squawking and just _pick_ something, I'll order for both of you.”

Kaito shakes his head. “No, I got it. I definitely know what I’m getting now.” And he closes his menu with a satisfied smile. 

“Me too! Definitely the Baked Tonkatsu.” Kokichi says, slapping his menu onto the table. “I'll get the waitress’s attention.” Shuichi only has a second to act before Kokichi cups his hands around his mouth and inhales. Shuichi reaches across the table and grabs his wrist.

“Maybe try not screaming across the restaurant, please?” He requests as he feels his face flush. Kokichi nods and zips his lips with a smile, and Kaito coughs in the awkward silence that follows Shuichi correcting his date’s moderately childish behavior. 

“Right. I'll just get her attention.” Kaito says, like it's no big deal. After flagging down the waitress and the two giving her their orders (Kokichi does not, in fact, order the Baked Tonkatsu like he said he would, not that Shuichi had really believed him in the first place), Shuichi makes eye contact with Maki, and it's kind of reassuring to know he isn't the only one feeling intensely uncomfortable.

Kaito drums his fingers against the table before he once again breaks the silence. “So. How long have you and Shuichi been seeing each other?” 

Shuichi almost groans.

“About a month!” Kokichi replies enthusiastically.

Kaito nods. “That's cool, you two must get along pretty well, Shuichi didn't even bother to introduce us to the last guy he dated. They were only together a few months, though.” 

“ _Kaito_ ,” Shuichi hisses, because he's fairly sure it's not polite to talk about your friend's exes to the person they're currently dating.

Kokichi laughs, and normally the sound of his distinct horse-like laugh is enough to warm his face, but now it terrifies him because he knows Kokichi only laughs like that when he's completely delighted and _that_ can only mean he's about to say or do something that Shuichi does not want him to. 

“Well, I should hope so! I mean, he did just have me in handcuffs the other day.” 

Shuichi buries his face in his hands when Kaito's resulting “what?” is loud enough to gather a few side-eyes from neighboring tables. 

After a few sputtered attempts to explain himself, Kaito finally seems to get that _no_ , Kokichi is not talking about Shuichi's sex life, (“thank God. I mean, of course I'm glad my sidekick is happy, but I don't really wanna know the details, ya know? Plus that would be way sooner than you normally-” _God_. Kaito talks way too much sometimes.) and no, Kokichi isn't lying.

Which just causes Kaito to get louder as he realizes that _that_ means Shuichi arrested Kokichi for _something_ and yet is still dating him. “You can't date him! He's a criminal!” Kaito argues as Shuichi fixes his hair in the bathroom mirror. Shuichi is hoping this doesn't take long, because he doubts that leaving Maki and Kokichi alone together for very long is a good idea.

“He is, but he's not a bad guy, Kaito. You've done illegal things, too.” Shuichi says, as calmly as he can. He glares as his cowlick in the mirror’s reflection to avoid Kaito's gaze. 

“Yeah, but I never got arrested for it! He did: you're the one who arrested him! Come on, Shuichi, this is crazy!” 

“It's not like he's killed anyone,” Shuichi says with a sigh. “He just… vandalized some places. That's hardly enough to warrant me breaking up with him.” Shuichi turns finally, to face Kaito, who is standing with his arms crossed and an unimpressed frown on his face. “And I really like him. So it would be nice if you could at least pretend to like him, okay?” 

Kaito wavers for a moment, but then he smiles and punches Shuichi's shoulder. “Man, I guess I'll give him a chance. He didn't seem so bad, and if you believe in him, I guess I can, too! Now come on, I bet our food is ready!” 

-

Maki and Kokichi are sitting in silence when they return to the table, and Kaito was right about the food being there. Kaito asks Maki what they talked about while they were gone, and she says, “Nothing,” with impressive finality. 

Kokichi nods.

Overall, the rest of lunch goes well enough. Kaito and Kokichi bicker a little, but it's pretty light-hearted and Kokichi at least seems to be enjoying himself. Shuichi relaxes as he watches them interact, only chiming in himself every once in a while. Maki occasionally speaks up too, which is surprising given that she doesn't like talking in front of people she hardly knows, but she tells Kaito he looks like an idiot when he gets food stuck in his teeth, and Kokichi cackles. 

Despite the fact that it went as well as he could have hoped for, it's with a sense of relief that Shuichi says goodbye to Kaito and Maki as they get into Kaito's car. Once seated in his own car and with Shuichi seated beside him, he asks what Kokichi and Maki actually talked about.

“Oh, she threatened to give me something called a Columbian Necktie if I ever hurt you or whatever.” Kokichi waves it off. “And so I told _her_ that I love the confidence and I couldn't wait to be her maid of honor when she gets married to stupid goatee guy back there,”

Shuichi shakes his head as he starts his car. “Are you ever going to call him by his name?” 

“Only to his face, now don't interrupt me when I'm answering _your_ dumb question.” Kokichi complains. Shuichi quickly apologizes as he pulls out of the lot and begins heading towards the apartment complex. “Anyway, after I said that she just kinda glared at me and we sat in silence for, like, three whole minutes until you guys got back.”

It's better than how Shuichi would have expected that interaction to go. “I'm sorry that I didn't warn you that we might see them there. I didn't think about it when I said we could talk there. I'm also sorry we didn't really get a chance to talk.”

“Don't worry about it! I had a blast, really! And I can always see Shuichi after work, right?” 

“Well, um, yes. I suppose we could spend some time together when I get home. What would you like to do?” Shuichi asks. 

They spend the rest of the car ride trying to decide what to do, with the choices ranging from watching movies to playing chess. They've still yet to decide on anything when they get to the complex, and Kokichi hops out of the car and strolls around the front to lean down at Shuichi's window. “Maybe Shuichi could teach me how to make cupcakes? I promise I won't set _your_ oven on fire!” 

Shuichi considers it for a moment, trying to recall if he has all the necessary supplies and ingredients. “I suppose I could. Though, you already know how to make them, don't you? You've made them before.”

“But I didn't even get to taste them last time! Shuichi has to help me make them so they turn out really good, okay?” Kokichi bats his lashes at Shuichi, but it's really the way his bottom lip juts out into a pretty pout that ultimately persuades him. 

-

When Kokichi arrives at six p.m., it’s like nothing’s ever happened and it’s just another cooking lesson. Shuichi can’t believe how easy it is to act like he didn’t just arrest Kokichi the other day, the ramifications of which have yet to even be fully realized. Still, if Kokichi is as unbothered by previous events as he so claims to be, then there’s no sense for Shuichi to continue dwelling on it, so he does his best to push the thought from his mind as he explains how to set up the double boiler for the butter and chocolate. 

“Chocolate cupcakes, huh?” Kokichi asks as he sets the water on the stove to boil. “The last ones I made were strawberry flavored!” Beside him, Shuichi carefully chops up the butter into mostly equal sized squares and then adds it to a small mixing bowl with the chocolate that Kokichi has broken up by hand. 

Shuichi sets the knife and cutting board into his sink before he answers. “Well, I wasn’t sure what flavor you would actually prefer, so I guessed. You like chocolate, don’t you?” Shuichi can’t think of very many people that actively _dislike_ chocolate, but he knows they exist, and it wouldn’t be so far out of the realm of possibility for Kokichi to not care for it, or worse- perhaps he might even be allergic. Shuichi _really_ should have asked first. 

Luckily for him, Kokichi laughs. “I love chocolate! I could live off of it, probably. It’s actually super healthy, since it comes from a bean. Maybe everyone should be on an all chocolate diet.” 

Shuichi doesn’t even know where to begin correcting that, so he doesn’t. Soon, the water hits a boil, and Shuichi places the mixing bowl over the boiling pot of water and directs Kokichi to stir until everything is melted and mixed together. When that’s done, Shuichi measures out 4 and half tablespoons of sugar to the mix. As he’s measuring out the three teaspoons of cocoa, Kokichi questions its purpose. “We’re already using a whole bar of chocolate, what’s the cocoa for, anyway?”

Shuichi doesn’t actually know the answer to that, he imagines it probably just gives it a stronger chocolate flavor, but he isn’t sure. He’s about to say as much when Kokichi interrupts him to say that it hardly matters, because who in their right mind would object to _more_ chocolate?

“So we should make chocolate buttercream while the cupcakes bake?” he asks, adding the cocoa and watching Kokichi mix that in as well. 

“We’re making the icing, too? Wow! Is it made the same way as whipped cream?” he asks, eyes lit up, and Shuichi hears the question more as, ‘Do I get to use the immersion blender again?’ 

Shuichi nods. “Yes, it’s kind of similar. Although, I’ll probably be the one mixing it this time. I’d really rather not have heavy cream and cocoa powder all over my kitchen.” he replies as he hands Kokichi two eggs to crack into the mixture after he’s already measured out and added the baking powder and flour. 

“Shuichi is no fun.” Kokichi mumbles, but there’s no real feeling behind the words as he stirs the batter. “Did you already put all the papers in the cupcake pan?” 

Shuichi pulls the pre-lined baking pan over to them so Kokichi can begin filling them. “Only fill them halfway, alright?”

“Yeah, duh, I’m not making _that_ mistake twice.” Kokichi giggles as he carefully fills up each cup only halfway. “Alright, all done! Now we can bake them!” Kokichi cheers as he puts the pan on the top rack of Shuichi’s oven. 

“Good job.” Shuichi says softly. “Are you ready to make the frosting?”

Kokichi agrees and follows Shuichi’s directions to begin measuring out all the ingredients while Shuichi uses a hand mixer (to Kokichi’s utter disappointment) to beat the butter until it’s creamy. When that’s done, Kokichi adds each of the other ingredients one at a time until the last drop of vanilla extract is in, and Shuichi beats it all together into sweet chocolate buttercream icing. 

Kokichi tastes it with a light hum of enjoyment. “Do you have one of those fancy icing bags? Like with the attachments and stuff?” 

Shuichi shakes his head as he removes the metal attachments from his hand mixer and puts all the parts in the sink. “No, but I have a plastic bag we can use instead. We can just cut one corner and it should work about the same. I’ve never actually tried it, but I saw it in a cooking video once.” 

Kokichi seems moderately surprised by that, but he doesn’t say as much, instead hip-bumping Shuichi out of the way so he can start running the water to fill up the sink for washing dishes. “You should get the icing ready, then! The cupcakes won’t take that long, right?” he says as he rolls up his sleeves. 

Shuichi huffs. “I thought _I_ was the teacher, here.” 

Kokichi laughs. “I thought you could use a break. You’re working so hard, you know? You don’t mind if I take control for a little while, yeah?” 

“I suppose not.” At the very least, it doesn’t take as long to scrape the frosting into a plastic bag and nip one corner, so he has time to just stand and watch Kokichi work, which isn’t a bad way to wait for the cupcakes to be done. And Kokichi himself seems to preen under the attention, shooting Shuichi coy looks as he cleans. 

“Shuichi is watching me pretty carefully, huh? See something you like?” he asks as he finishes up, draining the sink and drying off his hands (after flicking some of the excess water onto Shuichi).

Shuichi smiles at that, and resists the urge to hide his face. “And if I do?” 

“Then maybe you should do something about it!” Kokichi encourages, taking a step closer, which is really all the invitation that Shuichi needs to pull him into a kiss. One hand moves to pull Kokichi closer by the hip, and the other envelopes itself in the thick purple locks of Kokichi’s hair. With a sigh, Kokichi’s lips part and he melts against Shuichi, arms coming to wrap around Shuichi waist and trailing up and down his back. 

For a while there’s just the light smacking noise of them kissing, and then Shuichi lightly trails his lips down Kokichi’s jaw and over his neck, pulling his hand from Kokichi’s hair to gently tug his scarf aside to teasingly bite at the spot where shoulder meets neck. The light gasp that Kokichi makes, and the way his fingers clench tightly to the fabric of Shuichi’s shirt is all too enticing, but the smell of the cupcakes reminds Shuichi that they should be about done, and he’s not letting another oven get ruined from Kokichi’s attempts at baked goods. 

Reluctantly, he pulls away after leaving one last kiss on the slightly reddened mark that he’d left on Kokichi’s skin. “The cupcakes should be done by now. Do you want to ice them after they’ve cooled, or shall I?” 

Kokichi doesn’t answer for a second while Shuichi takes the cupcakes out of the oven and turns it off, and when he meets Kokichi’s eyes again, he’s moderately flushed, but grinning widely as he adjust the checkered scarf around his neck. 

“I’ll do it!” Kokichi says, so Shuichi nods and begins pulling the cupcakes from the pan and setting them on a serving tray. After waiting for them to cool and arguing over which sprinkles to use with Kokichi (it doesn’t make sense to use rainbow sprinkles, but Kokichi insists that it doesn’t have to make sense), Kokichi carefully swirls the buttercream onto each cupcake. It’s messy and some cupcakes have more frosting than others, but ultimately it looks like a cupcake, which is at least half of the criteria met. 

Shuichi lightly sprinkles each one with the rainbow colored candy, and the finished product, while lacking in professionalism, looks good enough to eat. 

They each pick one up and remove the wrappers, and then they tap them together into a toast before bringing them to their lips. “Ready to see if you’ve redeemed yourself?” Shuichi asks as they both hesitate. 

“Definitely.” Kokichi says. “On three?”

“Okay,” Shuichi takes a breath. “One?”

And it’s just like Kokichi to once again rush through the next two numbers and take his own bite a millisecond before Shuichi catches up on the count. Immediately the overwhelming flavor of chocolate hits Shuichi, and he chews slowly, taking in the taste. It’s not burnt, it doesn’t taste bad, it’s a cupcake in all sense of the word. Shuichi couldn’t have made it better himself. 

Kokichi swallows and licks his lips. “Well, Shuichi? How did I do?” 

Of course Kokichi knows that he’s done well, he’s tasted the cupcake himself, and knows it’s perfect. But he waits, cupcake raised to take another bite as Shuichi swallows his own. 

And then, Shuichi smiles. “I think that you’ve successfully made cupcakes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is the last chapter, a day early, even! I was just super excited to post the last one so I finished editing quicker than I expected I would. Thank you to everyone who has read, kudos'd and commented on this fic, it means soooo much to me. This is the first multi-chapter fic I've ever managed to finish! Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed!! xx 💕


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